Holiday village #4: A labor of love in North Smithfield

Northern, RI – The fourth entry in our holiday village contest comes from Kevin Morin in North Smithfield.  

Morin notes his display takes weeks to put together, so he starts setting it up each year in mid-November.

A holiday village in the making for 25 years, Morin’s massive collection started when his mother-in-law gave him his first house, a tradition she’s continued each year, even as he continues to add pieces on his own.

“It’s displayed on my three season porch, which faces the street for all to enjoy,” he said. noting that he even built shelving to give it a tiered look, and that it takes up the entire porch.

Today, Morin’s village includes 49 houses, 86 trees, 8 wagons and more than 146 people.

“Strung along the windows are snowflakes and ornaments and I have a Northern lights projector for special lighting,” Morin said.  

Morin said he hopes the display helps to brighten up someone’s day during the Christmas season.

“Every night when I light the porch up, I hope my neighbors and those riding by will pass with smiles on their faces,” he said.

“I catch delivery drivers peering in to take a peek when delivering a package,” said Morin. “I hope they get as much enjoyment as I get setting up my village.”

If you have a holiday village you’d like to show off by entering the contest, just send 5 to 10 photos of your display along with your name and the town in which you reside to [email protected]. If you’d like, feel free to include a little information about yourself and your village, as well as what makes it special to you. We’ll let you choose the angles and shots that best capture your display, but hope to see both closeups and at least one image showing the complete setup.

The contest is open to all ages, but you must be a current resident of Burrillville, North Smithfield or Glocester to participate.

The deadline for submissions is Sunday, Dec. 21 with voting to take place through the final week of December.

The winner will be announced during the first week of January and will receive a $50 gift card to New Leaf Coffee Bar in Burrillville.