Rotary Volunteer Continues Longtime Holiday Lights Tradition at Home

(OnFocus) A Marshfield man is continuing a decades-long holiday lights tradition that is now available in a new location.

For upwards of 40 years, Roy Covert built up an impressive Christmas display at his Marshfield home on Vine and Doege Street which has now been relocated to his new address on State HWY 13.

“Every year it’s going to get a lot bigger and better,” he said.

Covert plans his display down to the last detail and builds many of the decorations, including 5-foot candy canes and teeter-totters with playing elves and snowmen.

“I’ve gradually started building again, and building it up to the way I had it,” he said.

With a lot more room at the new location, he plans to expand the decorations tenfold in the coming years, partnering with his neighbor to create a dual attraction for passerby.

When he isn’t tending to his own holiday display, Covert is busy with Rotary Winter Wonderland as one of the retired “Elves” who keep the project running smoothly. Covert joined the project 14 years ago after Rotary member Dennis Boucher noticed his home holiday display and stopped to ask if Covert would like to help with the new project.

“Roy Covert has been a constant force behind the success of Rotary Winter Wonderland since the very beginning,” said Ben Lee, past Rotary Winter Wonderland Chairman. “He helps with managing all the inventory, set up and tear down, all the wood cutouts…We are all very appreciative of all he does for the program.”

Covert also brings Santa’s elf village at Rotary Winter Wonderland to life with new creations and can be seen at the show most nights, helping train new volunteers to manage the collection of food items for area pantries.

Because of his involvement in the Rotary project, Covert starts setting up his own home display in October. Between the two projects, he keeps busy throughout the year building new displays, and plans to have a full size sled and reindeer at home next year.

Drive past Covert’s display until January at S2880 State Hwy 13.