This may be the last year for “The Blow-Up House” in Gasport, surrounded by the Harris family’s holiday inflatables.
Cindy Harris said her home at 4325 Royalton Center Road earned its nickname for the growing collection of super-sized glowing decorations placed in their yard every Christmastime for the past 15 years. Although Cindy and her husband Russ love Christmas, many of the inflatables will have to go because they want to migrate to a warmer climate next year.
For now until Jan. 12, the bright, puffy tin soldiers, Santas, animals, snowmen, and gingerbread figures are on display. The Harrises even have a grandma getting run over, just like in the Christmas song.
“With my name being Cindy, I get called Cindy Lou Who a lot, so we have to have a Grinch.” Otherwise, Cindy said, her family sticks to traditional Christmas themes and avoids modern characters.
Russ, an electrician, begins installing the inflatables and electric cords on Thanksgiving. When he returns from work each afternoon, he checks over the display, removing snow that makes figures sag, and making sure that all the fans and connections are working.
For many years, the Harrises continued to shop for any Christmas inflatables they didn’t have. A brand new larger-than-life fox sits in the middle of their yard this year. The display now features more than 170 figures, with at least seven outdoor projectors casting images of snowflakes, candy canes and other holiday themes.
Cindy has a hard time choosing a favorite blow-up. “The outhouse is pretty cool,” she said. “The door opens and Santa goes in and out.”
The house gets plenty of curbside viewing, with people taking photos from the driveway. The Harrises don’t allow strolling in their yard because of concerns about tripping over cords.
Asked about their electrical bill, Cindy said, “People think it’s gotta be astronomical, but it really doesn’t go up that much.” Still, the neighbors joke that their power goes back on in January.
When the holiday season is over, the decorations are packed in 27 totes. The Harrises designed their barn with a second floor just to store blow up decorations, and they haven’t run out of room.
Like scores of Christmas things, many of the Harris’s inflatables will be sold at garage sales later in 2025. Despite the plan to reduce the collection, Cindy said she wouldn’t resist a Christmas gift of an inflatable gnome holding a flamingo for their next residence.