ORANGE PARK, Fla. — A personal holiday ritual has transformed into a vibrant community spectacle, infusing joy and nostalgia into a local garage, drawing visitors from all around.

Ross Powers has dedicated years to crafting intricate Christmas villages, but this year’s creation, affectionately known as Powersville, stands out as his most intricate and heartfelt work to date.

Spanning from wall to wall and floor to ceiling in his garage, the display showcases snow-draped mountains, lively neighborhoods, a quaint fishing district, bustling downtown streets, and even a fully illuminated baseball stadium.

“I mostly work with Styrofoam,” Powers explained. “It’s a process of cutting, brushing, and painting—aiming to make each piece as lifelike as possible.”

Much of the display is crafted from repurposed or inexpensive materials, including bathroom tiles turned into sidewalks and chicken grit used as track ballast. 

Powers says he doesn’t sketch plans; instead, he builds the entire city in his head.

“I don’t really have a plan,” he said. “I just come up with it in my head and piece together how I want the city to flow.”

One of the most meaningful parts of Powersville is the time Powers spends building it with his daughter, who helps place people, shape rock features, and add details like snow and smoke rising from chimneys.

“She helps place the people, the snow, the smoke,” Powers said. “She really enjoys doing it.”

The father-daughter bond is also reflected inside the village itself, especially in Powers’ favorite area: the piano lounge.

“My favorite part is probably this part in the middle where the piano lounge is,” he said. “My daughter and I play the piano… so it makes me think of her, and us doing that together.”

That personal storytelling is woven throughout the display, turning miniature buildings into reflections of real-life memories.

Another emotional layer of the village comes from pieces donated by a former coworker whose mother had passed away.

Powers says when his coworker learned about the village, he offered him decorations his mother once cherished.

“Every year he comes out, even though we don’t work together anymore, and he comes out and sees the pieces that were his mom’s,” Powers said. “So that’s pretty special.”

For Powers, it’s about more than decoration—it’s about keeping memories alive.

What was once a friendly neighborhood decorating competition has turned into something bigger. At the suggestion of neighbors, Powers moved the display into his garage and opened it to the public. Now, families are invited to walk through and absorb the holiday magic.

Powers invites you to visit Powersville at 3554 Old Village Drive in the Oakleaf community from 5:30 p.m. until 9 p.m. every night until New Year’s Day. The last night you can view Powersville is New Year’s Eve.

“There’s been so many people that have come and they’re just like, ‘You’ve made my year,’” Powers said. “I wouldn’t think that it would affect people like that, but it really does.”

Neighbors have jumped in to help from building tables, creating signs, and even designing QR codes. 

One of them, graphic designer Christopher Rodriguez, says it was an easy decision.

“He’s always been helping me with things that I need and helping things with my family,” Rodriguez said. “So I just wanted to put myself out there as well as put him out there.”

Rodriguez says visitors are stunned when they step inside.

“People are just in awe and shock,” he said. “They’re like, ‘Wow. This is beautiful. I’ve never seen anything like this.’”

Making people feel like kids again, the men said.

For Powers, that reaction is the true reward.

“So many people come up and they’re almost like kids again,” he said. “Remembering trains their dad or grandfather had… it’s special.”

While this year’s display is still drawing crowds, Powers is already thinking ahead.

“I don’t know how I’m gonna do next year,” he said with a laugh. “Until I get going.”

For now, Powersville stands as a reminder that the biggest holiday magic doesn’t always come from store-bought decorations, but from shared memories, community, and heart.

If you missed your chance to visit Powersville or won’t get to before the end of the year, Powers has a Youtube Video showing the full display.