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Lee and Karen Duquette at The Carolina Holiday Light Spectacular
at Ballantyne's Backyard
11611 North Community House Road
Charlotte (Mecklenburg County), North Carolina
December 13, 2023 and December 17, 2024 combination
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This venue consisted of Santa Central, Coco Huts, Food
Trucks, Mrs. Claus's Merry Market and of course the decorations, light
displays and trees along the Holiday Lights Pathway, plus giant snow
globes and lots more. It is said to have over a million light displays
on a one-half mile walking trail. Plus a snow tube slide, free parking
and more. Many of the displays were the same for both years. Similar
photos from both years have been combined and placed on several pages
of this website. So any page could have both 2023 and 2024 photos
on it. Karen Duquette tried to put similar photos near each other,
regardless of which year the photo was taken. After all, everything
changes.
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 FROM
OUR HOUSE TO YOURS  |
Below:
Decorations in the middle of the round-about in 2023, before entering
the amazing light display. |
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Below: Decorations in the middle of the
round-about in 2024, before entering the light display. |
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 Everything
was amazing except for one of the food trucks, so that is posted here
first as a notice to others, even though it is near the end of the display
event. The lobster roll was quite costly and extremely chewy. Karen
Duquette told the crew in the food truck that it was chewy and inedible
and they just stared at her. When she said she threw it away the man
said "Good" and walked away. Karen did NOT expect
another lobster roll to be offered, but she did expect them to care
about the quality of their food. Lee Duquette did not care for his food
from this food truck either. They did NOT attempt to eat anything at
this event in 2024.
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Below: The entry into the Holiday Light Spectacular in 2023 and 2024.
Not much change.
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Below: The First scenery seen after entering.
The lights on the tree kept changing colors. But Karen Duquette wondered
why there was not any star on top of the tree. Karen photographed the
tree from several different angles as the lights changed colors. |
Below: 2023 photos |
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Below: In 2023, the tree really changed colors constantly. |
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Below: The tree, deer and field in 2024. The lights
on the tree were mostly blue changing to white. |
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Below: A look through a wreath with a view of the deer
and Christmas tree shown above. (2023 photo) |
Below: Karen Duquette and the wreath in 2024 |
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Below: The same wreath in 2024 with the tree that changed
colors in the background. |
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Below: More trees in 2023 with lights and
a snow globe in a big field, where people were not allowed to walk. |
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Below: A welcome to Ballantyne's
Backyard sign in 2023 with the Holiday Light Spectacular tree in the
background. |
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Below: The same tree area (briefly shown
in the background of the above photo) in 2023 and again in 2024 - with
slightly different decorations around it. Karen Duquette liked the toy
soldiers that were added in 2024. |
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Below: In 2024, Karen and Lee Duquette
sat in front of the Holiday Light Spectacular tree (shown above) for
a photo. They did not do so in 2023 for some reason, maybe because the
line was very long in 2023.
In 2024, Karen asked people in line behind her to take
their photo, then she returned the favor. Lee Duquette was not thrilled
that Karen sat on his lap, even though she did not put her full weight
on him. |
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Below: A Holiday globe in 2023 - photographed from the
front and the back side. |
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Below is The 2024 Holiday Globe (that is shown above
in 2023). It was a bit different in each year. |
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Below: The Menorah in 2023 and in 2024 - in different
locations though. |
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Below: A 2024 photo with the Menorah and a big snowman |
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Below: Snowmen family in a globe in 2024 |
Below: Karen Duquette with a big snowman in 2024. |
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Below: The Village in 2023 |
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Below: Entering the Village in 2024 |
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Below: The Village was very different in
2024 |
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Below: Karen Duquette at the castle gate
and guards in 2024 |
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Below: "Spectacular Entertainment" snow globe
at a seating area that must put on a show sometimes. But Lee and Karen
Duquette did NOT get to see the show in 2023 and there was no sign
stating when the show would be on.
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Below: "A Flamingo in a Hip Hop Tree"
Snow Globe
with a Florida Santa Claus in 2023 |
Below: Another snow globe in 2023 |
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Below: Karen Duquette at the Holiday Light Spectacular
in 2023 |
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Below: Karen Duquette in a walk-through ornament in 2023.
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Below: After it got dark
outside, Lee Duquette photographed the same walk-through ornament as
above. |
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Below: A very different
walk-through ornament in 2024 - in a very different location too. |
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