Thirty-seven years of magic at Lewis Lights

• The Lewis family has opened the gates to their own land in Purvis and invited the world right into their front yard each Christmas season for 37 years.

There are Christmas displays… and then there’s the Lewis Lights in Purvis—one of those rare Mississippi traditions that feels less like an event and more like stepping straight into someone’s family story.

For thirty-seven seasons, the Lewis family has opened the gates to their own land and invited the world right into their front yard—200,000 lights sparkling across their property, handmade wooden creations tucked under the trees, and a warmth that you can feel before you even step out of your car.

And for my family, it’s personal.

We’ve been going to see the lights for fourteen years—ever since our oldest was just a few months old and bundled in a Christmas onesie. Now, it’s one of those traditions my boys look forward to as much as opening presents. We park, pile out, and slowly wander the winding paths under thousands of glowing lights, peppermint in hand, breath hanging in the chilly December air. It’s the kind of Mississippi memory that grows up with your children.

It All Began With Aunt Evelyn’s Imagination

Before the crowds, before the big displays, before the world discovered Purvis, it all began with Aunt Evelyn—a gifted local artist with a playful spirit and a tradition of taking her nieces and nephews to see the Christmas lights.

Over the years, fewer homes were decorated, and one day she simply said, I’ll save my gas money and buy my own lights.

Deborah Lewis shared, “Evelyn started putting lights up in the yard so we could drive up and down the driveway… and it’s been growing ever since.”

That small spark became one of Mississippi’s favorite winter traditions.

A Homeplace With a Glowing Family Tree

When you arrive, you don’t just walk a light trail—you walk across a century of family land. Literally.

Deborah shared, “My Aunt Evelyn was born on this land—in the old house where the family tree stands.” The home they live in now was built in the 1950s, but the property has been in the Lewis family for more than 100 years.

One of my favorite parts?

The giant oak tree in their yard, its branches covered in hand-painted ornaments—each labeled with the name of a Lewis family member. It’s their family tree in the truest sense.

Mrs. Barbara Lewis: The Woman Who Lit the Way

At the heart of this legacy is Mrs. Barbara Lewis—the family matriarch, a carpenter, a master electrician, and the keeper of Christmas magic.

She built the custom electrical grid that powers the display, repaired lights year after year, and taught her family how to salvage bulbs, wires, and decorations with care.

Visitors still talk about her because she greeted them with peppermints, warm smiles, and the kind of hospitality our state is known for.

Even in her final years, she sat at the kitchen table repairing lights.

“She kept the show running until she passed away,” Deborah shared.

And her spirit truly still shines through every bulb.

A Labor of Love—Not for Show, but for Community

The Lewis Lights are not a commercial attraction. They don’t sell tickets. They don’t charge admission.

They simply open their personal property and welcome strangers as if they were family.

You park your car and walk the paths at your own pace—past the glowing cutouts, through tunnels of lights, by scenes lovingly crafted by hand. Volunteers from Petal First Baptist help, and extended family members pitch in, but the heart of the operation is three women: Deborah, Aunt Evelyn, and Aunt Linda.

These three ladies begin staging their property in early October and don’t finish packing everything away until early spring. This is Mississippi generosity at its purest.

Hot chocolate is sold, handmade goodies are available, and peppermints seem to be everywhere—passed from one hand to another, the way Southern hospitality should be.

Thirty-Seven Years of Light—Through Every Kind of Darkness

Their dedication hasn’t wavered—not even after Hurricane Katrina.

“After the storm, we didn’t know if we could do it,” Deborah told me. “But my Uncle said, ‘Come hell or high water, we’ll have lights.’ And we did. People needed joy.”

Over the past thirty-seven years, visitors have come from every state, every country, every continent. Deborah’s favorite story is about a man from Ireland who arrived the very night they had shut down for the season. When he explained he was leaving the next day, her mother said:

“If you can prove you’re from Ireland, we’ll turn them on for you.”

One word from his accented voice—and the whole place lit up. And, that’s the Lewis Lights: magical, unpretentious, and deeply kind.

If You Go

The Lewis Lights officially open Thanksgiving night at 5:30 p.m., glowing nightly through December 31 from 5:30 to 9 p.m.

Admission is free, but donations help offset the cost of bulbs, electricity, and repairs.

You can stroll the paths, sip hot chocolate, admire the craftsmanship, and watch your children walk ahead to “find the next one!” just like mine do.

For thirty-seven years, the Lewis family has given Mississippi a gift—a glowing reminder that joy doesn’t have to be sold; sometimes it’s simply shared. Their lights don’t just brighten the holidays… they stitch together memories for families like mine, year after year.

A few lights can start a tradition, but it takes a community family like the Lewis’s to build a legacy.