Ask anyone if they know about The Grinch Who Stole Christmas and they most likely will say yes. But are they aware that what could be the biggest Grinch of all is on Route 114 through the East Bay?
Probably not. Here are the details.
Ryan and Dani Sauve are the owners of Stony Hedge Farm in Bristol. She works at a local emergency animal hospital, and he manages commercial properties. They married just last year and have amassed a menagerie of pets – including a pig named Rosie. As if they did not have enough to do, the pair was at loose ends roughly fivesix years ago. It was the year of Covid, and a lot of kids were unable to see any sort of holiday displays or visit Santa.
The Sauves decided to do something soon as the pandemic cleared.
“I thought it would be fun to set up a huge display with lights,” said Ryan, and Dani agreed. “We did it because kids would get a kick out of it although we get a tremendous number of visitors who are adults.” That first display was an American flag, followed by characters like Santa, Frosty, Rudolph, and most recently, the Grinch and his dog, Max.
The story of the Grinch is a classic thanks to Theodor “Dr. Seuss” Geisel, who penned “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” back in 1957. The Grinch is a mean, bright green fellow with a tiny heart who terrorizes his neighbors in Whoville by stealing all their holiday presents.
The Grinch and his dog Max disguised themselves as Santa and a reindeer, bent on doing their worst to make the season a sad affair. They were about to push all the decorations over a cliff when the Grinch heard all Whoville singing and his heart softened. He returned everything after realizing there was more to the holidays than just presents. Family and friends were what mattered. The Grinch joined in on the merrymaking with everyone in Whoville.
Getting the Grinch to strut his stuff on Route 114 was easier said than done. The construction and planning of the mammoth project was the toughest part. First came a large crane to hoist everything and a beam to hang the display. About a dozen rolls of six-foot chain link fence were attached with about 3,000 zip ties and then with a substantial number of lights. “I don’t know how many lights we’ve gone through over the years,” said Ryan.
“We just keep buying them,” laughs Dani.
Ryan credits Dani with the design aspects. The pair conscript friends to assist in laying out the project on the ground before it is attached to the beam and hauled skyward. The display is quite sturdy and has held up well over the years. Dani describes a situation in which the lights all went out except for the Grinch’s eyes and mouth. “It was really kind of spooky to have that in the window staring at us.”
This year’s edition – the Grinch and his dog Max – may just be the most colossal yet.
“The Grinch is about 61 feet tall,” said Dani, “from his feet to the top of his hat.” The two figures measure roughly 51 feet wide, a work in progress. At first it was just the Grinch, then Max was brought along for the ride. Ryan says the weight of the entire shebang is anyone’s guess. “It is more than I can lift on my own. We are too busy just getting the thing set up to spend time weighing it.”
Stony Hedge Farm, located at 1362 Hope Street in Bristol, sells eggs and tallow soap products this time of year. In warmer weather they offer seasonal veggies, floral bouquets and especially sunflowers. They can be found on Facebook and stonyhedgefarm.com
What’s the plan for next year? Ryan and Dani never reveal their ideas for future projects.
Stay tuned.