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At Fox Lake’s boundary line is one of the largest private holiday light displays in the area, and a hidden gem.

For more than a decade, the Lankford Construction Company has illuminated the December night skies there with 20 large stand-alone holiday scenes and additional multicolored lighting.

It is all fed by miles of electrical cord and strategically placed junction boxes, spread over 10 acres. The displays and lights are everywhere, incorporating the use of shrubs, trees, standing light poles, the walls of buildings, even perched on the tops of buildings.

“To make a guess at how much electrical cord and how much amperage it all draws would be hard,” said Rob Copenharve, the company’s spokesperson. “About two years ago, everything was converted to LED lighting, the industry standard that changed the game. It was done strictly for environmental purposes.”

The array of animated and stationary tableaus is complemented by the LED lighting conversion, where the colors change such as ice skaters congregating by a ringed and lit pond. Santa Claus can be seen putting a golf ball and driving a carriage.

The company owner initially purchased a few of the lighted displays from the Pierceton, Indiana-based Herman’s Christmasland, which is a top manufacturer of outdoor decorations for municipalities, churches and theme parks.

With each passing season, Lankford’s displays began to accumulate and expand across the ground space, until reaching a satiation point in 2011. The total effect is staggering.

The actual assembly is said to begin immediately after Halloween, and starts with laying all of the electrical cords. All the elements have been tested by Thanksgiving eve, when the switch is thrown for the holiday season.

“The company owner does this every year for the community to enjoy during the holiday season,” Copenharve said. “The horse carriage is my favorite display, among the many.”

Lankford Construction is located at 1455 Karlens Way. The drive-thru route along the north side of the complex is encouraged, especially after a good snowfall.