Fanwood's 'Famous Christmas House' gears up for holiday season

FANWOOD, N.J. (PIX11) -- Greg Roser, the owner of the ‘Fanwood Famous Christmas House,’ is already gearing up for the holidays.

Roser has been decorating his Fanwood home for nearly four decades. 

“It started out slow, and it’s grown over the years,” said Roser. “I stopped counting the number of lights, but it’s well in excess of 50,000.” 

His spectacle of lights and decorations attracts visitors from all over the world. 

“We’ve had people from England, France, India, Russia, Guatemala, Africa - everywhere,” said Roser. 

Roser said he will begin preparations this week and will be hanging lights on his house by mid-September. As soon as Halloween is over, he begins placing decorations on the lawn.

The decorations are a mix of homemade wooden creations - including an eight-foot-fall snowman - as well as wire-frame ornaments and inflatables. 

The display will be bigger than ever this season, thanks to a recent purchase of a home next door, which will also be decorated. 

The display changes a bit every year, but always debuts the day after Thanksgiving and stays up through New Year’s. Santa Claus visits the house on the first Saturday in December. This year, the visit will be December 7th. Every child who stops by receives an age-appropriate gift, most of which is donated. Santa’s visit has become a family and community affair. 

“We have a crew of elves - about 20 family members - that organize the gifts and help Santa keep line control,” said Roser. 

Roser said he receives support from the Fanwood Police Department and PBA, as well as the mayor and town council. “The police officers come,” said Roser. “They donate milk and cookies and hot chocolate and coffee. They set up a table.” 

Visitors are also welcome to donate to the New Jersey Institute for Disabilities, a cause close to Roser’s heart. To date, he has donated more than $100,000 to the organization. 

“Every single dollar I collect goes to the charity,” said Roser. “Nothing goes to pay my expenses.” 

The gift Roser receives in all of this is priceless. “I get joy out of the joy I give that I give to other people,” said Roser. 

More information on the Christmas House and how to donate is available here.