Phil Campbell welcomes McCollum Christmas display

Several families enjoy a Christmas tradition of loading all the children up in the car and driving through neighborhoods to see Christmas lights. This year, Phil Campbell boasts a new place for families to begin a tradition: Christmas with the McCollums.

The McCollum house, located at 5075 Gravel Hill Road in Phil Campbell, is a new location for Christmas with the McCollums, but the McCollum Christmas light tradition has continued for more than 10 years.

“It used to be my parents’ thing – what they were known for,” said Adam McCollum. “When me and my wife got married last year and bought our home in Phil Campbell, my dad decided he was ready to retire out of it, so we took it up.”

McCollum said he wondered how he was going to continue the tradition but was excited about the idea of creating a place families could look forward to coming to every year.

This year’s Christmas display features a nativity scene, Charlie Brown, Smurfs, Santa, reindeer, a gingerbread village and more.

“My wife and I joke how anytime we say we are finished, we add something else to it, and it just keeps growing,” McCollum said.

McCollum said his favorite part of the display is a special North Pole mailbox where good girls and boys can send their letters to Santa Claus. If the letter includes a return address, Santa will even write back.

“For us it’s been really exciting. Every night when we get home, that is the first thing we will go check – the Santa mailbox,” McCollum said.

The McCollums are hosting a special “meet and treat” Friday from 7-9 p.m., when the McCollum family will be dressed as elves to pass out candy canes to any visitors.