Paula Green should be called the Queen of Christmas, based on the number of lights in her rural Big River yard. Located at W8944 US Highway 10 between Prescott and Ellsworth, the Green farm is a beacon of holiday cheer amid the rolling farm fields of western Pierce County.

Pat & Paula Green’s dairy farm is where they raised their three children; about 25 years ago, she thought the yard’s bushes needed some cheery lights. Now, their children and six grandchildren help her expand the light display every year. And she’s not planning on stopping anytime soon.

“It all started out with four bushes in the yard that were lit up,” she said. “I said we need to expand this and it just kind of blew up. It’s gotten bigger and bigger every year.”

She’s unsure of the exact number of lights in the display, but it has to number in the tens of thousands. The fence alone has 4,000 lights, while another favorite tree has about 1,200. And that’s just scratching the surface. Musical snowmen, Santas, elves, reindeer, and more adorn the farm, lit by an intricate network of neatly placed extension cords.

“If I need help, the kids and grandkids pitch in,” she said. “My goal is to have them up by Thanksgiving each year.”

This year, she spent 8-10 hours per day for 10 days getting the display ready. The rain has wreaked havoc on a few things, especially LED lights which don’t react well to moisture in their sockets. She’s also learned she doesn’t like to use inflatables. While they look nice, they don’t work well when it’s windy and snowy.

Green loves the fact that people for miles around come to enjoy the lights. She has one request: Please don’t slow down or park on Highway 10 because it’s dangerous and could create a traffic hazard. She doesn’t mind if people pull into the driveway or onto 530^th Avenue across the highway to get a better view.

“I just want everyone to enjoy it,” she said.

She leaves the lights on from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 a.m. each day, so people have ample time to see them. Some people told her they were never able to come by at night, so she keeps them lit through dawn.

She’s not sure how much the lights effect their electric bill due to the dryer they have on the farm, which causes the bill to fluctuate, but she said she’s pretty sure Pierce Pepin loves her. People have offered to donate money to the lights, and while she appreciates the kindness, she doesn’t accept it.

“Someone sent us a wreath because they enjoy the lights and it was so pretty,” she said. “But they don’t have to do that. I just want everyone to enjoy them.”

Her favorite piece is a sparkling horse and carriage in the center of the yard. Her mother, Helen, died three years ago and that piece reminds her of her mom. She can look out her kitchen window and see it twinkle.

“She loved the sparkle of the Christmas lights so much,” she said. “It makes me think of her.”

Green plans to expand the display further west next year, when some trees come down in the yard. Her children also decorate their houses, and she’s on a mission to put icicle lights on one son’s house, but he works third shift.

While she’s never been to Sam’s Christmas Village in Somerset, people have told her she needs to go. But she might be too busy expanding her own display. Make sure to look for it along US Highway 10 among the farms of Big River.