{"id":64405,"date":"2025-11-21T23:19:31","date_gmt":"2025-11-21T23:19:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/64405\/"},"modified":"2025-11-21T23:19:31","modified_gmt":"2025-11-21T23:19:31","slug":"lighting-up-the-valley-the-story-behind-holidaylights-at-calm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/64405\/","title":{"rendered":"Lighting up the Valley: The Story behind HolidayLights at CALM"},"content":{"rendered":"

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No one knows the inner workings of HolidayLights at CALM Zoo better than Josh Barnett. As he gears up for his 23rd year overseeing the dazzling display, Barnett reflects on the joy, creativity, and year-round preparation that go into bringing the experience to life.<\/p>\n

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\u201cIn our shop, it\u2019s Christmas every day,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Barnett\u2019s fascination with lights began when he was just five. What started as a child\u2019s curiosity soon became a passion that filled his parents\u2019 and grandparents\u2019 Bakersfield homes with glowing displays each December.<\/p>\n

In 2001, his passion took a life-changing turn. After creating a synchronized light show at his childhood home in southwest Bakersfield, he caught the attention of The Bakersfield Californian\u2019s holiday light contest and enthusiasts all over Bakersfield.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just wanted to be on the Griswold scale,\u201d Barnett said with a laugh \u2014 referencing the contest\u2019s holiday house rankings.<\/p>\n

The show drew large crowds and filled a whole book with business cards from people eager to hire him for their own displays. But not every idea was met with immediate enthusiasm. One business that hired Barnett wanted to recreate the elaborate style of his home display, but needed the landlord\u2019s approval. He laughed recalling the incident, explaining what the landlord had said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI went by that kid\u2019s house and we can\u2019t do that to Rosedale Highway,\u201d Barnett recalled him saying, referring to the traffic backups the spectacle would create.<\/p>\n

Soon after, an opportunity came with Stier\u2019s RV, where Barnett was given full creative freedom to design a holiday light show. Around the same time, the CALM Foundation was searching for a new holiday event and fundraising opportunities. After seeing Barnett\u2019s work, CALM reached out \u2014 and a lasting relationship was born.<\/p>\n

Over the past two decades, the partnership has transformed into a Kern County tradition, drawing families from across the Central Valley and becoming CALM\u2019s largest fundraising event each year. Steve Sanders, KCSOS Chief of Staff, highlighted that CALM Zoo\u2019s HolidayLights relies heavily on the long-standing contributions of the Barnetts and their team, whose creativity and dedication have built a lasting family tradition for the past 22 years.<\/p>\n

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HolidayLights at CALM Zoo has become a beloved Kern County tradition where magical nights and lifelong memories\u00a0are made.<\/p>\n

\u201cJosh is a man of integrity, kindness, and someone who is living out his dream,\u201d said Sanders. \u201cIt is an honor to partner with him and we look forward to many more years of this amazing partnership.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even when challenges arose \u2014 like the COVID-19 pandemic \u2014 Barnett found creativity and comfort in his work. During the height of the pandemic, Barnett and his crew transformed HolidayLights into a drive-thru event for two years.<\/p>\n

\"\"Josh and Vicki Barnett enjoying New Year\u2019s at CALM with their son, Jonah.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was just what the community needed at the time,\u201d Sanders recalled. \u201cBut we were eager to get the show back to its traditional format.\u201d<\/p>\n

As HolidayLights grew, so did Barnett\u2019s business, Lightasmic \u2014 a professional lighting company that now installs large-scale displays across the nation. Traveling for installations means being away from home often, but Barnett says he never does it alone.<\/p>\n

His wife, Vicki, plays an essential role behind the scenes \u2014 managing operations, overseeing projects, and ensuring every bulb is in its perfect place before the doors open at CALM Zoo on November 29.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s out there making sure everything is exactly as we wanted,\u201d Barnett said. \u201cI couldn\u2019t be doing what I\u2019m doing without her. Every day is a pinch-me moment \u2014 not only because I get to do what I love, but because I have the support of my family.\u201d<\/p>\n

Barnett says his favorite moments come when he quietly walks through the pathways at CALM Zoo, hearing families laugh and marvel at the displays.<\/p>\n

\u201cSince we\u2019ve been doing it for over 20 years, we now see parents bringing their kids \u2014 the same parents who came when they were little. It\u2019s really come full circle.\u201d<\/p>\n

For the Barnett family, it\u2019s no different. Each year, they look forward to their newest tradition: watching the five-foot-diameter custom ball drop during CALM\u2019s New Year\u2019s Eve event. Barnett is always quick to credit the local community for making it all possible and contributing to the sense of holiday magic.<\/p>\n

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\u201cTo the community, I say thank you. They\u2019ve given me that opportunity,\u201d he said. \u201cHad I grown up somewhere else, I can\u2019t say that I would be able to do what I\u2019m doing, because our community is so unique and so supportive.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even after more than two decades, the excitement hasn\u2019t faded.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re lighting more trees, we\u2019re building more displays \u2014 every year they get more and more detailed,\u201d said Barnett. \u201cIt still feels like yesterday, even though it\u2019s been over 20 years. It\u2019s amazing how much it\u2019s grown.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tickets for this year\u2019s event are on sale and should be purchased in advance HERE<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"Josh Barnett setting up a Toyland-themed display at his parents\u2019 house.<\/p>\n

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