Jill Justice-Childs and Jason Childs, creators of the Yuba Sutter Light Show, pose together during the holiday season.

YUBA CITY, CA (MPG) - Beams of light cutting through the night sky quickly drew the attention of Yuba-Sutter residents this past December. The mysterious lights were reported as far south as Elk Grove and as far north as Live Oak. Their origin: a residential home off Green Valley Road in south Yuba City.

“It’s definitely been a game changer as far as our Christmas light display goes,” said homeowner Jill Justice-Childs.

“Everybody knows to go to the other side of town, but nobody really knows that there’s lights on this side of town, so we wanted something to draw attention,” added her husband, Jason Childs.

For the first time this year, the Childs family mounted eight concert-style sky beams onto their roof. Typically, lighting of this caliber requires weatherproofing and protective housing. However, a new version released this year by Your Pixel Store in Southern California offered a more practical solution.

“It’s really hard to find concert-rated outdoor lights or DMX lights that are moving without putting a cover over them,” said Jason. “In the last couple years there’s been a lot of people doing innovation and testing, and they are one of the first to come out with a UL-rated light that you can use without having to buy whole separate covers for.”

Sky beams shine above a South Yuba City home as part of the Yuba Sutter Light Show, a synchronized holiday display visible from miles away.

The lights proved durable, even during the blustery winds that swept through the region over Christmas. Despite gusts exceeding 60 miles per hour, the display held steady.

Before mounting the lights, Jason conducted extensive research, including making multiple calls and sending emails to ensure the display complied with regulations. That process included contacting the Federal Aviation Administration regarding local ordinances.

“It doesn’t violate any city ordinance or county ordinance as long as we don’t shine them at any roads or homes or anything like that,” Jason said.

Programming the display took months, with careful attention to angles, color variation, height and timing.

“It’s like dance choreography,” said Jill Justice. “He had to figure out what he wanted them to do, when he wanted them to do it, what colors to turn to at every second of all the songs they’re on. It’s pretty crazy.”

In addition to the overhead sky beams, the Childs have installed an RGB light display around their home. Viewers are encouraged to tune their radios to 92.1 FM to experience the synchronized music and lighting. Jason Childs has spent hours designing each song in the playlist, often taking requests and adding new selections.

“Some of the kids have requested K-Pop Demon Hunters, so that will be up tonight,” Jason said during an interview on Dec. 26.

High-powered sky beams illuminate the neighborhood during the Yuba Sutter Light Show, drawing visitors from across the Yuba-Sutter region.

The show currently features about an hour of programmed, holiday-themed music and lighting, alongside popular hits such as “Can’t Stop the Feeling” by Justin Timberlake, “Blinding Lights” by The Weeknd and “Believer” by Imagine Dragons.

After mastering their own display, the couple has begun offering personalized lighting design consultations for other local families and businesses. Those interested can contact Yuba Sutter Light Show at [email protected].

“It’s more of a consultative approach,” Jill said. “We ask about their budget, expectations, and then we can design a show around it — we don’t do the install though.”

The effort has paid off, particularly in the community response. The display has drawn families night after night, with some stopping to dance in the street.

“The kids, they just love it,” Jason said. “They get to hear songs that both they and their parents like and watch the lights together.”

“It’s become a tradition with some of our neighbors,” Jill added. “All the kids and their grandkids come over, and they just hang out the whole night watching the light show.”

The display runs nightly from 5:30 to 11 p.m., with each hour-long show looping to help manage traffic flow. Weather permitting, the light show will remain up through Jan. 4. After that, the lights will be stored until fall, when the Childs plan to debut an early Halloween display. For more information, look for “Yuba Sutter Light Show” on social media.