| Day | Instructor | Class Name | DESCRIPTION | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday | Aubrey Kall | Singing Faces Made Simple | Aubrey Kall - Singing Faces Made Simple | Learn a smart, rhythm-first approach to sequencing singing faces that makes syncing mouth movements easier and more accurate. This class walks you through a practical technique using Light-O-Rama software that simplifies the process and improves timing, AND even sets you up with the rhythms to sequence the rest of your display. Perfect for anyone looking to bring personality and precision to their singing face props. |
| Friday | Aubrey Kall | Can You Sketch It? | Aubrey Kall - Can You Sketch It? | The first half of this class introduces the Sketch Motion Effect in Light-O-Rama S6, giving attendees a strong foundation for drawing and animating custom images beyond the options in the standard Picture effect. In the second half, students will put their new skills into practice by recreating effects shown on screen using the Motion Effect Generator in game-style format. This hands-on session is designed to build confidence and creativity-participants must bring a laptop with LOR S6 installed to fully take part. |
| Friday | Aubrey Kall | From Music to Motion | Aubrey Kall - From Music to Motion | You’ve picked the perfect song - now what? This software-agnostic class is designed for anyone who’s ever stared at a blank sequencing screen wondering where to begin. Together, we’ll break down a song, identify its musical moments, and decide how different Christmas props can work together to tell a cohesive visual story. Like assembling a puzzle, we’ll build a full light show live in class so you leave with a clear process for turning music into an organized, impactful display. |
| Saturday | Audra and Rodney Burton | We Christmas Harder Than You: How to be the Heart of Your Light Show | Audra and Rodney Burton - We Christmas Harder Than You: How to be the Heart of Your Light Show | Interacting with your crowds, dressing the part, traffic control, and keeping your neighbors happy with your lights and added traffic. |
| Friday | Barry Wiles | Dancing Lights & Water: DMX LED Fountains for Holiday Displays | Barry Wiles - Dancing Lights & Water: DMX LED Fountains for Holiday Displays | Discover how to set up and program DMX LED water fountains to add motion, drama, and a whole new dimension to your light display. This session will show you how flowing water and lighting can work together to create unforgettable visual impact. |
| Saturday | Barry Wiles | Moving Magic: DMX Moving Heads in Holiday Light Displays | Barry Wiles - Moving Magic: DMX Moving Heads in Holiday Light Displays | Learn how to connect and configure DMX moving heads in xLights, from properly setting up models to dialing in control. This session will show you how to seamlessly integrate moving head effects into your sequencing workflow for dynamic, show-stopping visuals. |
| Friday | Barry Wiles | xLights Intermediate sequencing - Layers and Buffers | Barry Wiles - xLights Intermediate sequencing - Layers and Buffers | Unlock the power of layers and buffers in xLights to take your sequences to the next level. Learn how to stack effects, fine-tune timing, and create smoother, more professional-looking displays that truly dazzle. |
| Saturday | Bill Jenkins | The State of the States | Bill Jenkins - The State of the States | Dive into the xLights State Effect in this beginner-friendly session and see it in action like never before. Watch as we build a full sequence using Suno AI for music, Eleven Labs AI for text-to-speech, Audacity, Autolyrics, the Queen Mary plug-in, timing tracks, and both the State and Face Effects on multiple Showstopper Mini Trees. |
| Friday | Bill Jenkins | You can do that in xLights? | Bill Jenkins - You can do that in xLights? | Join us for a deep dive into xLights, exploring powerful features like preferences, value curves, timing tracks, run scripts, and the visualizer. Bring your laptop and get hands-on as we uncover tips and tricks that will expand what you thought was possible in your display. |
| Friday | Bill Porter | AI and Show Automation | Bill Porter - AI and Show Automation | How to leverage the Home Automation technologies to enhance your show and save you lots of money. I'll walk you through my Frigate - Home Assistant - FPP setup with live demos. No push to talk button needed here, and while i haven't done a true car counter i can plot the number of cars over time each night, plus I'll show you my ultimate smartphone show controller page you can replicate easily. |
| Friday | Brian Michael | BELIEVE: The Librarian’s Itinerary for a TV-Ready Display | Brian Michael - BELIEVE: The Librarian’s Itinerary for a TV-Ready Display | Step aboard for a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to transform a holiday display into a television-worthy spectacle. Join Brian Michael (“The Librarian”), Season 11 champion of The Great Christmas Light Fight, as he reveals the data, trends, and insider insights behind winning displays. Using years of collected show statistics and history, Brian breaks down what casting producers look for, which styles and technologies stand out, and the common myths that hold decorators back from applying. You’ll also learn what really happens during the application, onboarding, and filming process when the cameras arrive. Whether you're a pixel pro or a traditional decorator, this session will help you understand the “Believe” factor that turns a great display into a championship contender. If you’ve ever dreamed of taking your show from the neighborhood to national TV, this class will help you start planning the journey. |
| Friday | Brian Michael | GCLF Panel Discussion | Brian Michael - GCLF Panel Discussion | |
| Friday | Brian Reitmeyer | Virtual Matrix 101 | Brian Reitmeyer - Virtual Matrix 101 | Learn how to fully plan, build, and set up a projector virtual matrix using FPP Remote, xLights, and essential networking tools. From selecting the right projector to configuring matrix models, rendering video, remote control, and FPP scheduling, this step-by-step session gives beginners and pros alike the tools and best practices to elevate any display Note: This is not a projection mapping class. |
| Friday | Chris Lotton | Megatrees: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly! | Chris Lotton - Megatrees: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly! | Megatrees. They're the star of the show. They are also one of the most (if not THE most) expensive props in the show. We would be heartbroken if anything bad happened to them. This class will touch on everything about building Megatrees for dependabilty, reliability, affordability, and ease of setup. From ground anchors to star mounts. From pole bases to ring bases. From winches to pulley systems. We will go over all the latest products and their best uses. Plus a glimpse at a few new items that have never been seen before! Much information can be found on the interwebs, but how much of it is current? How much of it is reliable or dependable? This class will focus on the newest and latest information that is not available elsewhere. |
| Saturday | Chris Lotton | Megatrees: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly! | Chris Lotton - Megatrees: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly! | |
| Friday | Clyde Lindsey | Controller Strategy: Building a Scalable Pixel Foundation | Clyde Lindsey - Controller Strategy: Building a Scalable Pixel Foundation | In this session, we’ll explore use cases for different controller types, when receivers make sense, and how thoughtful planning can dramatically reduce cable chaos and future headaches. Whether you're building your first show or refining an existing one, this class will help you create a cleaner, easier-to-manage foundation that grows right along with your display. |
| Friday | Craig Monson | Interactivity: Adding Buttons to Your Display | Craig Monson - Interactivity: Adding Buttons to Your Display | Take your holiday display to the next level in this hands-on workshop, where you’ll learn to add interactivity using GPIO buttons to control sequences, effects, and even DMX devices like snow and fog machines. With free two-button kits to build and take home, you’ll leave ready to create a dynamic, crowd-pleasing display that wows your neighborhood and sparks new creative ideas. |
| Friday | Daniel Allison | The Allison Christmas Spectacular: What it takes to Relocate to a new venue | Daniel Allison - The Allison Christmas Spectacular: What it takes to Relocate to a new venue | Come join us for a behind-the scenes view of the new location of The Allison Christmas Spectacular, now located at our local Christmas tree farm! Learn all that was required for the transition of the synchronized light show from our family's home street to the Havana Christmas Tree Farm, exciting and easy DIY tips and tricks that you can apply to your own light display, and future plans for our family's light show. We continue growing bigger and brighter every year! |
| Saturday | Daniel Kulp | Advanced FPP | Daniel Kulp - Advanced FPP | Take a deep dive beyond the basics as we explore the powerful “Advanced” settings inside FPP that unlock its full potential. You’ll uncover hidden features and capabilities that most users never realize are there—and leave ready to use them with confidence. |
| Saturday | Daniel Kulp | Intro to FPP | Daniel Kulp - Intro to FPP | Ready to launch your first show—or finally cut the cord from your computer and move to a Raspberry Pi? This session walks you through the essential features of FPP, from basic configuration and playlists to scheduling, so you’ll leave confident and fully equipped to get a show up and running |
| Friday | Dom Hodgson | Marketing your Light Show | Dom Hodgson - Marketing your Light Show | Even the most jaw-dropping holiday display won’t draw a crowd if no one knows it’s there. In today’s world—where countless festive events compete for attention—you need more than great lights; you need a smart strategy to get noticed. This session will explore practical, effective ways to promote your show without feeling pushy, including how to use each social media platform to its strengths, attract local (and sometimes far-reaching) media coverage, and turn your neighbors and community into enthusiastic ambassadors. Walk away with a toolbox full of proven ideas to help more people discover your display, spread the word, and make your show a must-see tradition year after year. |
| Friday | Greg Macaree | Introduction to LED Panels | Greg Macaree - Introduction to LED Panels | Get a comprehensive introduction to LED panels, covering types, resolutions, RGB vs. single-color, and when to use each for indoor or outdoor setups. We’ll also dive into powering, data connections, controller options like Pi, BBB, and Colorlight, and wrap up with a Q&A to answer all your panel questions. |
| Saturday | Greg Macaree | LED Panel Setup using Colorlight Cards with FPP & xLights | Greg Macaree - LED Panel Setup using Colorlight Cards with FPP & xLights | Learn how to set up an LED panel using a Colorlight card and Raspberry Pi, from physical installation to configuration in LEDVision, FPP, and xLights. By the end of this hands-on session, you’ll design a short sequence and see it come to life on your panels. |
| Friday | Greg Macaree | 1-2-1 Help & Support | Greg Macaree - 1-2-1 Help & Support | |
| Friday | James Hendrix | A year in the life of a Train Conductor (Light Enthusiast) | James Hendrix - A year in the life of a Train Conductor (Light Enthusiast) | How long does it take to build your show?”—my answer is simple: it never really stops. In this interactive session, I’ll walk through my year-round workflow and invite you to share yours as we explore everything from buying props and pixels to layout planning, software upgrades, and staying ahead all season long. |
| Saturday | Jason Sisk | 3D Printing - Where to start | Jason Sisk - 3D Printing - Where to start | Curious about 3D printing but not sure where to begin? This beginner-friendly class walks you through the essentials of getting started with 3D printing specifically for holiday lighting displays. We’ll cover everything from choosing your first printer to dialing in slicer settings, with a strong focus on PETG and ASA—the go-to materials for durable, weather-resistant outdoor props. You’ll also receive a take-home printout of our proven settings to fast-track your success. In this session, you’ll learn how to: - Choose beginner-friendly printers, tools, and accessories - Successfully print PETG and ASA for mounts, enclosures, and custom fixtures - Avoid common issues like warping, stringing, and poor layer adhesion - Prep models for outdoor use, including basic enclosure design and post-processing tips By the end of the class, you’ll have the confidence and know-how to create strong, clean, weather-ready prints that integrate seamlessly into your xLights projects. |
| Saturday | Jason Sisk | Beginning with Fusion 360 – Design Your Own Clips, Mounts, and Brackets | Jason Sisk - Beginning with Fusion 360 – Design Your Own Clips, Mounts, and Brackets | Ready to move beyond downloading files and start designing your own custom parts? This beginner-friendly class introduces the fundamentals of Fusion 360 through a hands-on, real-world project—creating a simple clip, mount, or bracket from scratch. You’ll learn how to sketch, extrude, and modify geometry while getting comfortable with the Fusion 360 interface and core design tools. This session focuses on practical parametric design techniques and preparing models for 3D printing, with an emphasis on parts commonly used in holiday lighting displays. By the end of the class, you’ll walk away with a completed custom design and the confidence to start creating your own clips, mounts, and hardware for any DIY lighting project. |
| Saturday | Jason Sisk | 3D Printing - Open Forum | Jason Sisk - 3D Printing - Open Forum | This open‑discussion session invites makers of all experience levels to share, learn, and explore everything related to 3D printing for the xLights lighting hobby. Whether you’re brand new and looking for guidance, or an experienced printer with tips to offer, this forum creates a relaxed, collaborative space to talk about printers, materials, troubleshooting, design ideas, and outdoor‑ready props. Bring your questions, your successes, your challenges, and your curiosity. The goal is simple: help each other grow, discover new techniques, and strengthen the community through open conversation." |
| Friday | Jeff Garvas | Intro to Networking & Show Networks | Jeff Garvas - Intro to Networking & Show Networks | If IP addresses, show networks, and the difference between a router and a switch feel overwhelming, this session is designed just for you. We’ll break networking down into clear, simple concepts so you can stop stressing about connections and focus on creating an amazing show. |
| Saturday | Jeff Garvas | Advanced Networking for Light Shows | Jeff Garvas - Advanced Networking for Light Shows | Ready to go beyond the basics of show networking? This advanced session explores FPP IP forwarding, the xLights proxy, remote access to controllers and FPP instances, and deeper show network design so you can manage and troubleshoot your display with confidence—anywhere you are. |
| Friday | Jeff Haberman | Incorporating video projection into your show | Jeff Haberman - Incorporating video projection into your show | Discover how adding video projection can transform your show, creating a richer, more immersive experience by combining music, lights, and visuals to tell your story. In this seminar, we’ll cover everything from non-synchronized effects and projection mapping to selecting projectors, programming in xLights and Light-O-Rama, building low-cost enclosures, and using front/rear projection materials—plus tips for incorporating video, GIFs, and images into matrices and virtual matrices. |
| Saturday | Justin McCown | Pixel repair | Justin McCown - Pixel repair | his session teaches beginners how to properly diagnose and repair pixel issues using today’s common connectors like heat-shrink tubing, III-loks, Click-its, and Scotchloks. You’ll gain practical skills to quickly troubleshoot and fix problems, keeping your display shining bright all season long. |
| Saturday | Kyle Bostick | How to start a Commercial Show | Kyle Bostick - How to start a Commercial Show | A masterclass training experience for light show enthusiasts who want to build a commercial-grade production. This class covers elite-level design, infrastructure, licensing, pricing, marketing, and operations—giving you the tools to create a high-impact, revenue-driven show. |
| Saturday | Kyle Bostick | Introl to Projection Mapping.. and Beyond | Kyle Bostick - Introl to Projection Mapping.. and Beyond | This class introduces the fundamentals of projection mapping for holiday lighting displays. We’ll cover basic equipment, software workflows, content creation, and practical techniques for mapping projections onto houses and props to enhance synchronized light shows. Perfect for beginners looking to add a new visual element to their holiday display. |
| Friday | Larry Calvert | Best practices for Importing purchased sequences | Larry Calvert - Best practices for Importing purchased sequences | Where to find sequences, best practices for Organizing Your sequence components, Mapping like a Pro, Alias usage, Enjoy Your display! |
| Saturday | Marcus Ledet | Interactivity: Simplified | Marcus Ledet - Interactivity: Simplified | Creating interactivity within your light show doesn’t have to be complicated! Want to create a push button controlled photo op? Want a prop to come to life when a guest approaches it? The possibilities are endless and the Light-O-Rama ecosystem can help easily make this magic possible, whether or not you use LOR today. Show control and interactivity techniques will be discussed as well as real interactivity examples and demonstrations. Taught by a Disney parks engineer, come check out how LOR helped to add a little extra pixie dust to the theme parks this past holiday season. |
| Saturday | Matt Brown | Light-O-Rama: What's Next? | Matt Brown - Light-O-Rama: What's Next? | What's next for Light-O-Rama? Join this open forum to hear about the latest and upcoming releases, with the opportunity to share YOUR wishlist of features in the next versions of LOR S6. |
| Friday | Michael Simmons | Illuminating the Legal Path: Music Licensing & FCC Compliance for Holiday Light Shows | Michael Simmons - Illuminating the Legal Path: Music Licensing & FCC Compliance for Holiday Light Shows | Learn the essential knowledge for legally and effectively integrating music into your holiday light show. This class dives deep into the intricacies of music licensing, copyright laws, and royalty considerations, while also exploring FCC Part 15 regulations for short-range FM broadcasting. Whether you're a residential or commercial light show operator, this class provides the tools to ensure your show dazzles audiences while staying compliant with legal and technical standards! |
| Saturday | Michael Simmons | The End of FM Radio. The Beginning of Tune2! | Michael Simmons - The End of FM Radio. The Beginning of Tune2! | Join Michael A. Simmons, creator of Tune2, for an inside look at the platform redefining how audiences experience light show audio. This session will provide a high-level overview of how Tune2 replaces traditional FM transmitters with modern, smartphone-based listening, along with a look at the powerful features designed for both residential and commercial displays. Michael will demonstrate just how simple it is to install and configure Tune2—in under five minutes—before opening the floor for an interactive Q&A. Attendees will also get an exclusive preview of upcoming features and what’s next for the future of Tune2. |
| Friday | Michael Stoffregen | Manipulating the Render Buffer | Michael Stoffregen - Manipulating the Render Buffer | Discover how to harness and edit the render buffer in xLights layer settings to transform the look of effects and graphics on any prop. Learn advanced techniques to make your visuals truly pop and create eye-catching moments most displays never achieve. |
| Mike O'Neill | Audio editing using Audacity and Sound Forge | Mike O'Neill - Audio editing using Audacity and Sound Forge | Audio Editing Essentials with Audacity & Sound Forge Clean, Edit, and Prepare Audio files (60 Minutes) Target Audience • Hobbyists, show operators, and light show creators • Anyone preparing: o Music tracks o Announcements / narration o Sound effects • Little to moderate prior audio editing experience Class Objective By the end of the session, attendees will be able to: • Choose Audacity vs Sound Forge for the right task • Clean up audio (noise, clicks, levels) • Edit and assemble tracks efficiently • Export audio correctly for playback systems and sequencers |
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| Saturday | Mike O'Neill | Sound Editing | Mike O'Neill - Sound Editing | |
| Friday | Mike O'Neill | LOR S6 Tips & Tricks | Mike O'Neill - LOR S6 Tips & Tricks | |
| Friday | Nuno Fernandes | LOR Unlimited: Yeah, We Did THAT | Nuno Fernandes - LOR Unlimited: Yeah, We Did THAT | The class that showed you LOR can handle way more than just AC lights is back with a new format. In the LOR world, we’ve moved past "Can we do it?" to "Look what we just did." This interactive roundtable brings together the users who are breaking the mold with P5/P10 panels, fire machines, and complex DMX integration. If you are tired of being told "you can't do that in LOR," come join the group that proves them wrong every single night with some of the most unique displays in the hobby. No lectures - just real users sharing real advanced solutions. |
| Saturday | Rodney & Audra Burton | Shine with Purpose | Rodney & Audra Burton - Shine with Purpose | Clean Setups, Smart Wiring, Time‑Saving Mastery, and End‑of‑Season Care |
| Friday | Ron Armstrong | Basic Troubleshooting | Ron Armstrong - Basic Troubleshooting | In this class, we will identify 'Tools of the Trade', develop a systematic and methodical approach to issues and problems, and cover in-depth testing practices. |
| Saturday | Ron Howard | Why Most xLights Layouts Fail (and How to Fix Them) | Ron Howard - Why Most xLights Layouts Fail (and How to Fix Them) | Ever wonder why “perfect mapping” can still lead to frustrating, underwhelming sequences? This session breaks down common layout traps, smart use of groups vs. submodels, sequencing techniques that simplify complexity, and how to audit and improve your existing layout—without starting over. |
| Friday | Ron Howard | Modern Sequencing Workflows: Using AI Without Losing Control | Ron Howard - Modern Sequencing Workflows: Using AI Without Losing Control | Explore how AI can supercharge your sequencing workflow, from generating custom color palettes to prepping singing face lyrics and isolating instruments with tools like Moises.ai. We’ll also show how stem separation improves timing accuracy—and where AI hands off to human creativity for truly great sequences. |
| Friday | Russell McFarland | The 50 things you need BEFORE setting up your display | Russell McFarland - The 50 things you need BEFORE setting up your display | Get ready to streamline your setup from start to finish as we break down the essential tools, parts, and planning strategies that make installation faster, smoother, and safer. This session is packed with real-world tips and hands-on show-and-tell examples you can immediately put into practice. |
| Friday | Scott Hart | Prop mounting | Scott Hart - Prop mounting | Learn practical, real-world techniques for mounting props securely across a variety of surfaces and hardware types. This class breaks down smart mounting solutions that save time, reduce frustration, and keep your display safe, clean, and professional-looking. |
| Saturday | Scott Hart | Designing 3d printed props | Scott Hart - Designing 3d printed props | Discover how to use CAD tools to design custom 3D-printed props from concept to completion. In this hands-on session, we’ll build a prop together step by step—and you’ll leave with a finished design ready to print when the class ends. |
| Saturday | Scott Hart | Tools for light shows-beginners and advanced | Scott Hart - Tools for light shows-beginners and advanced | Explore the essential tools every light show creator should know, from beginner must-haves to powerful advanced equipment. This class breaks down what each tool does, when to use it, and how the right gear can take your display to the next level. |
| Friday | Tom Campbell | Packets & Pixels: FPP Networking Made Easy | Tom Campbell - Packets & Pixels: FPP Networking Made Easy | New to Falcon Player (FPP) and confused by IP addresses, or why your pixels aren’t responding? This beginner-friendly class takes the mystery out of networking for xLights and FPP-based pixel shows. You’ll learn the essential networking concepts needed to reliably run your display — without needing an IT background. We’ll walk through how xLights sends data, how FPP players and controllers receive it, and how everything connects together on your show network. Along the way, we’ll cover practical setup tips, common mistakes, and simple troubleshooting techniques to keep your show running smoothly. By the end of the class, you’ll understand how to design a basic show network, configure FPP players, assign IP addresses, and confidently get your pixels talking. Perfect for beginners and anyone who wants a more stable, stress-free light show network. |
| Saturday | Ty Olmstead | Music Dissection & AI‑Enhanced Sequencing | Ty Olmstead - Music Dissection & AI‑Enhanced Sequencing | This class teaches you how to take any song from raw audio to a fully planned Light‑O‑Rama S6 sequence by combining traditional musical analysis with modern AI‑assisted sequencing techniques. Participants learn how to break down a song into beats, sections, transitions, and emotional cues, then use AI to accelerate the creative process to generate polished sequencing plans, and transform those plans into professional‑quality lighting effects inside LOR S6. This course is ideal for anyone who wants to elevate their sequencing skills, speed up their workflow, and create shows that feel cohesive, musical, and expertly choreographed. |
| Friday | Ty Olmstead | Ditto No More, Welcome to the LOR Neighborhood | Ty Olmstead - Ditto No More, Welcome to the LOR Neighborhood | This class teaches you how to expand your Light O Rama show beyond a single home and transform your neighbors from casual “ditto” sign holders into full participants in a coordinated, neighborhood-wide holiday spectacular using Art Net Time Code. You’ll learn how to configure a leader PC at your house, set up follower PCs at neighboring properties, and build a reliable network that carries Art Net Time Code cleanly across driveways, yards, and even public streets. The session focuses on practical, real-world techniques-static IPs, broadcast-friendly switches, and proper cable runs-along with strategies for helping neighbors upgrade from simple imitation to synchronized involvement. By the end, you’ll be ready to design and run a seamless multi-home display that feels like one unified show rather than a collection of individual efforts. |
| Friday | Don Ekema | Intro to pixels - LOR | Don Ekema - Intro to pixels - LOR | |
| Friday | Dom Hodgson | Marketing your Light Show | Dom Hodgson - Marketing your Light Show |