History
The Christmas Village property was originally known as Spring Lake Dairy Farm, a working dairy farm. William M. Koziar began decorating his rural property for Christmas in 1948. The display was created for the enjoyment of Koziar's wife, Grace, and four children and initially centered on the house and barn. However, the display became increasingly elaborate and grew to incorporate the lake, walkways, trees, and fences. Over time the private display became a popular local attraction, known as "The Christmas House," and traffic on the nearby road was sometimes snarled by passersby stopping to view the display. Eventually, visitors were admitted to the premises and Koziar paved a former wheat field to provide parking. Initially, the dairy farm remained active, and the Koziars had to wait until after the cows were milked to turn on the lights, as there was not enough power for the milking machines and the lights to operate simultaneously. Many of the dioramas are housed in former chicken coops and display toys, clothes and other belongs of the Koziars' children and grandchildren. In 2008 Koziar's Christmas Village celebrated its sixtieth anniversary. It remains a family-owned attraction, currently operated by the Koziars' daughters, and several current employees are second- and third-generation associates.
Read more about this topic: Koziar's Christmas Village
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