FALLBROOK - Mack Schreiber's neighbors know it must be getting close to Christmas when his yard lights up the block every night.

For 11 years, Schreiber has been adding to his massive display of Christmas lights and figurines, investing thousands of dollars and countless hours in getting the scene in his front yard just right.

"I love Christmas," he said. "I love the first night when I put the lights up and my son goes out and says, 'Dad, this is awesome. Santa Claus is definitely going to see our house.' "

He said he also welcomes spectators, encouraging those who notice the impressive display on the south side of Reche Road just west of Green Canyon Road to cruise through his family's U-shaped driveway for a better look.

Schreiber's wife, Ali, and two young children are supportive of his obsession, helping out when he needs it and generally admiring his handiwork.

"I leave most of it to him," Ali Schreiber said this week. "When he's ready and says, 'Come on out and help me,' we help. We like seeing him happy, and this makes him happy. He'll sit here at the front window and get so excited when people drive through."

As for the kids, "They think we live at Disneyland," she said. "They say, 'Mommy, can you see us from space?' And I say, 'I don't think so, but maybe from a low plane.' "

She added that she gets a kick out of watching her husband light up the yard each winter.

"He wakes up in the morning and goes, 'You know what? There's a blank spot right there, and I need to put something in it,' so every day it gets bigger and bigger," she said. "I don't think it's gaudy - I think he's done it tastefully."

Schreiber, who owns a local business called "Mack's Tool Repair," said he upgraded the display this year by purchasing equipment that computerizes the display, synchronizing the lights with music that can be heard in the Schreibers' driveway by tuning in to 107.7 FM.

The light and music show begins at the top of the hour and lasts for about 15 minutes.

He estimates that he has 25,000 lights in his front yard, strung along the eaves or mounted on the 22 figurines gracing the lawn and roof.

"This year, I made a 'God Bless Our Heroes' sign, and I've got 'Enter' and 'Exit' signs for the driveway, so people can drive through," he said. "This is not work for me - I just love doing this. I've put 11 days into this year's display, and I've been having a blast."

Schreiber's next-door neighbor, Kathy Newman, said Wednesday that she enjoys seeing the Christmas display grow every year and that it has never been a nuisance.

"We get a kick out of it," said Newman, who has lived by the Schreibers for five years. "I happen to run a day care out of my home, so it's great for the families who have little kids. I tell them all they can drive through their driveway and check it out."

Every hobby has its drawbacks, and for Schreiber the quest for an ever-more-impressive light display equals increased electricity costs, although he said his wife pays the bill in December.

"I don't look at the electric bill, I just put the lights up and say, 'Whatever it is, pay it,' " he said. "One month, it went up $150 for the whole month of December. That was four years ago, so it's probably higher now - $200 or $250, something like that."

It can also be a little awkward to have strangers cruising through on his driveway, but he said that's the price he's willing to pay for having what is probably the largest Christmas lights display in Fallbrook in his front yard.

"For the month of December, I don't have a problem with it. If you're still driving through here in June, we might have a problem," he said with a chuckle.

He said he hopes the display lends some extra cheer to the holiday season for those who lost their homes in the October wildfires.

"If I can get a smile out of some of those people who are having a bad year, that's why I do it," he said.

- Contact staff writer Tom Pfingsten at (760) 740-3516 or tpfingsten@nctimes.com.