If you drove down the sleepy cul-de-sac of Bainbridge Circle in Murrieta, California during the day you would never guess that at night it transforms into a musical light-fest that rivals even an electrical light parade. Each house has its own unique lighting and décor yet all of them blink and move in synchronized motion to the beat of the music played through the neighborhood.
The Bainbridge Circle neighbors have often gotten together over the years for potlucks, barbecues and parties. At one of their get-togethers during the spring about three years ago, the idea was born to synchronize their usual Christmas displays to the same songs. Everyone was on board and soon Ted, one of the neighbors who is an engineer, had created a presentation complete with a small-scale model of the neighborhood and a plan as to how they could make this work. By the fall, they began setting the plans into motion and “Bainbridge Falls” was created.
The cul-de-sac has grown more and more popular every year with a bit of traffic starting on Thanksgiving weekend and gradually increasing throughout the month of December until the traffic slows to crawl that rivals rush-hour. But no one minds, it’s just more time to enjoy the spectacular display. Bainbridge Falls utilizes approximately 300,000 LED lights and the entire show runs on an estimated 560 electrical channels in order to synchronize the lights to the music. The music is played through a few speakers in the neighborhood, as well as their own radio station on 88.1 that you can enjoy before you even enter the street. The traffic doesn’t even phase the residents of Bainbridge who love to see the joy and happiness that it brings to the children who stare in amazement at the amazing light show.
The Bainbridge folks start stringing up lights and setting up decorations the day after Halloween and continue to prepare until the day after Thanksgiving when the street officially “opens” for viewing. Every year the decorations change just a little as new decorations are added and some are retired. Many of the decorations you see are actually hand-made by the neighbors themselves, such as the towering Christmas tree that seems to swirl and gyrate, the arches that appear to move and bounce, and the stars that seem to jump out at you at the end of the cul-de-sac. Even with the large amount of bulbs used between the thirteen houses, the electricity consumption is quite low due to the use of LED lights
So if you need a boost of Christmas cheer, drive on over to Bainbridge Falls and enjoy the festive cheer on display from 5:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. every night through the 31st of December. If you care to get out and walk the street you can often find the smiling neighbors handing out candy canes and Christmas wishes.
Directions
Directions to Bainbridge Falls from San Diego- Take the 15 North. Exit on Winchester Rd and go right (north on Winchester) Pass Nichols and make a right on Willows. Take Willows up the hill, tune into 88.1 on your radio, and make a left on Bainbridge.
Directions to Bainbridge Falls from L.A. County, Orange County and Inland Empire- Take the 15 South or 215 South. Exit Murrieta Hot Springs, and go left (East on Murrieta Hot Springs.) Make a right on Winchester (South on Winchester) and a left on Willows. Take Willows up the hill, tune into 88.1 on your radio, and make a left on Bainbridge.
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