CLIFTON, Ohio — It is a historic reminder of a bygone era, and now the Clifton Mill is making history for a more modern marvel and the millions of lights displayed at the site during the holiday season.
It’s a labor of love for Tony Satariano, the mill’s owner. He started the tradition with his father 37 years ago and a “modest” 100,000 bulbs.
“Never thinking we’d ever, ever need to buy another set of lights,” he said. "Put them on just for ourselves.”
And the display keeps getting brighter each year.
“The biggest kick for me now, I am now meeting the third generations of families that this has become part of their tradition,” Satariano said. “And that’s very humbling.”
Satariano said many of the buildings in the expansive handmade village are memories from his childhood and also the town of Clifton.
The centerpiece of the mill’s holiday lights is a sparkling show synchronized to music, using the covered bridge as a canvas for the colors. The programming was done manually in-house.
“Brings a lot of enjoyment to everybody,” he said. “Don’t want to let them down.”
Satariano said he and a team of five laid each light strand strung across the property by hand.
“People don’t realize that,” he said. “You know, doing a house and lights is nice, but this bridge for example, is 30 feet over a river. So it’s a little trickier than putting a step ladder up.”
Folks from coast to coast visit the small town of Clifton to see the display between Black Friday and Dec. 30, multiplying its 150-person population every night of the season, growing in popularity after winning a reality television show in 2018.
A collection of Santa Claus figures Satariano’s mom started when he was a kid is still going strong. He said the space was expanded several times to accommodate all the men in red, with many still in storage unable to fit.
Hundreds of Kris Kringles are now on display. The oldest one dates back to the 19th century. Many pieces were donated from visitors and come from around the world.
But the main attraction of the mill’s legendary lights display is a star of the holiday season, Santa Claus. He spends time inside his workshop and even climbs through the chimney to visit with families ahead of Christmas.
Guests are welcome to see the historic Clifton Mill's holiday spirit in-person each night from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. through Dec. 30. Christmas Eve and Christmas hours are 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Correction: A previous version of this story misspelled Tony Satariano's name. The error has been corrected. (Dec. 26, 2024)