Christmas magic takes over central Lafayette home

One of my favorite movies is “Field of Dreams.”

If you build it, they will come.

For the last four Christmas seasons, every time I’ve driven down Antigua Drive, I’ve wondered what the story was on the house with the palm trees that’s been converted into a local holiday destination.

Four Christmases ago, the decorations started out with a sign that said “Santa’s Workshop” on the little building beside the main house. Then there was a sign that said, “Come visit Santa.”

Over the years, a giant mailbox especially for letters to Santa has been erected. There’s a Countdown to Christmas calendar. A larger-than-life polar bear in front of the house now sits guard by the front door. Giant, old-fashioned Christmas tree lights line the path to Santa’s porch. A beach-umbrella-sized candy cane is near the mailbox beside the snowman.

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For the last three years, every year the homeowners have upped their Christmas game. We’re not talking just lights and decorations — this is a full experience.

Earlier this week, I was driving down Antigua and a woman was weeding the already perfect yard of what I refer to as the “Santa's Workshop house.” The moment I saw her, I realized that I had a few extra minutes. How better to find out the story than to stop and ask?

So, I stopped. Vanessa Miller was as gracious as if I had made an appointment. She could not have been happier to chat with me and answer all the questions I had about Santa’s Workshop and how whatever it was they had going on had become the holiday spectacle it is.

She explained that the idea just kind of happened.

“I looked at our little workshop one day and told my husband, ‘That could be Santa’s workshop,’” she said. “From there, it’s evolved with us,”

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Her husband, A.J. Miller, joined us and began to give me an impromptu tour.

The couple told me the stories of the decorations and escorted me to the different named areas of their yard — there’s The North Pole (front yard with the giant polar bear that A.J. explained spent six weeks in customs). There’s Reindeer Lane, Rudolf’s Clubhouse, Winter Wonderland (where they serve the hot chocolate) and, of course, the original Santa’s Workshop, where Santa meets the children on the nights before Christmas (this year from 6 to 9 p.m. until Dec. 23). He also hands out little gifts to the first 500 children who stop by to visit and finally one over-sized mailbox for letters to be sent directly to Santa.

A.J. Miller says the letters to Santa run the gamut — and that Santa personally answers each and every one of them.

For the Millers, the more, the merrier.

“We encourage cars to stop. We’ve even had trollies come by,” A.J. said. “We’re on thousands of Christmas cards. We’ve set up several photo ops.”

A.J. has lived in the home on Antigua in central Lafayette for 30 years. For 26 years, it was just a normal house. He was a normal house painter, and Vanessa was a normal nurse.

But four years ago, something changed. Neither of them can explain exactly what happened but agree that whatever it was has transformed their lives and perspectives into something bigger.

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I wondered what their family thinks about the spectacle that is their yard and its growing tradition.

“We don’t have children,” A.J. said. “But we have all the kids. We spoil them and send them home.”

Even though I had noticed their attention to holiday detail since the decorations started. Meeting them in person took it to another level. I felt their joy on a personal level. Their Christmas spirit was contagious.

Still, I wondered what the neighbors thought of the holiday hullabaloo. Vanessa told me many of the neighbors dress up as elves and volunteer to be a part of the Christmas fun. Some help to direct traffic or manage the lines of children.

I decided to speak with some of the neighbors myself. I met Carla Ortego, in full elf regalia, on the first big night Santa was receiving guests at the Miller’s home. Ortego said the whole experience is a blast.

“Last year, after I came over to visit, I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face,” Ortego told me.

I met Taylor Clement, another neighbor, by chance at a party on the other side of town. When I found out where she lived, I was not sure what the quiet, mild-mannered academic would have to say about all of the hubbub. I almost hesitantly asked her if she had been to Santa’s Workshop and what she thought of the extreme decorations.

“To be honest, I love it,” she said. “It’s just so much fun. Watching the kids and families stop is the best.”

I mentioned to Clement that some neighbors volunteer as elves.

She said, “You know what, next year I’m going to see if I can be an elf too.”

Surely, there is magic beyond the corn fields of Iowa.