Area's best Christmas fest at Edison & Ford Estates

Move over Rockefeller Center.

The premier Christmas attraction in the country radiates from Holiday House 2007 at the Edison & Ford Winter Estates in Fort Myers.

For the 32nd year the estates come alive with white lights sparkling on palm trees, antique houses decorated in Christmas finery and new this year - a Children's Tree Trail.

"Holiday House in Fort Myers brings a real Christmas feeling to me," said Nancy Black, of Sanibel. "It is as close as you can get to the Christmas feeling in all of Southwest Florida."

Someone who could be an expert on a traditional up-north Christmas, Carol Bruce, a snowbird visiting from Juneau, Alaska, agreed.

"I live in Alaska and I like the snow, but it is 24 degrees there," Bruce said. "This is a great place for Christmas decorations. It feels just like Christmas."

Fort Myers' Susan Bennett, 96 and a native, started the Fort Myers Women's Community Club tradition at her home in 1957 that led to the Holiday House.

"I'm just so happy to be here for this Holiday House," Bennett said. "It really became big."

COURTESY PHOTO Edison Holiday House The Holiday House decoration event moved to the Edison and Ford Estates as a joint effort in 1975. It takes hundreds of volunteers from the women's club, Lee County schools, garden clubs and community organizations to produce the show.

With this year's theme "a Trip to the Past," the show opens every evening at 5:30 p.m. and runs through Dec. 30 with Christmas Eve and day closed. Various musical groups and entertainers such as North Fort Myers High School's Jazz band are scheduled to appear during the month-long event.

"In the tradition of the Edison's and the Ford's, music and art are an integral part of Holiday House," said Chris Pendleton, estates president and chief executive officer. "Dozens of performing groups, students and professional artists appear during the event."

On opening night last Friday, Thomas Edison, played by Jamie MaGirl, sporting a straw skimmer hat and white lab coat, Edison's wife Mina, played in period costume by MaGirl's wife Jan and Santa Claus played by Garland Cain lit the Edison Christmas tree.

"I'm just so thrilled to have everyone here to have a nice time and celebrate Christmas," Edison said. "I've also got to make sure my lights work."

With children from the crowd of more than 400 people in attendance gathered around the tree to watch - Edison's lights worked.

"It's really, really nice," said Marybeth Briers, 9, visiting at the estates. "I think it'll be a good Christmas."

The theme at Holiday House changes every year. This year's theme, "A Trip to the Past," included antique cars, boats and planes for decorations on the 20- acre site with its gardens and sweet smelling flora along the Caloosahatchee River.

The about 40 Christmas trees decorated by Lee County school children along a walkway in front of Henry Ford's home also added to the overall Christmas feeling.

"We had 800 children and parents here to see the decorations before we opened to the public," said Lisa Sbuttoni, event spokeswoman. "The trees are all very creatively decorated."

More than 30,000 people visit the restored Edison and Ford homes during the Christmas season. Strolling between illuminated buildings it is easy to see why: The night may be Florida warm and humid, but the atmosphere sparkles with the Christmas spirit at Holiday House through December.