Magic comes to Mount Vernon in the form of storefront animatronics

A retired Disney imagineer who once designed theme-park rides rides again is putting his talent to use in Mount Vernon.

Tim Kelley, who has lived in Mount Vernon for 11 years, is erecting five animatronic displays in storefronts, which will be up through New Year's Day. This is the fifth year he has built the displays.

'I have these little bits and pieces of knowledge and some tools, and I'm semi-retired, so it's kind of a natural follow on to create some more of these things to help make Mount Vernon even a sweeter place to live in,” Kelley said.

For the second year, a display will go up at Czech Feather and Down. Co-owner Dawn Schorg said a few years ago, she approached the Mount Vernon/Lisbon Community Development Group with a desire to redo her storefront, and outlined her vision for a moon and stars.

'Tim was there, and Tim said, ‘I'm going to make you a moon,' ” Schorg said. 'We didn't think too much of it.”

Now, the business has a moon that lights up with twinkling stars around it that Kelley created, Schorg said.

'We were in awe that he had done that for us,” she said.

To Schorg, Kelley's holiday display, which at her shop last year featured a tree, captures the essence of the season.

'We could stand at our counter and look out the window, and there would be people out front with little kids,” Schorg said. 'They wouldn't even realize we were standing in there watching them, because they were so involved in watching it.”

It also evokes memories from past Christmases, Schorg said.

'I could remember standing there trying to get up to the window close because there were so many people,” she said. 'When Tim said he could do things like that, we were like, ‘Oh my gosh, you have to do that.' ”

Kelley hopes his light displays will help spread the holiday spirit Magical Night creates in Mount Vernon. The event, scheduled for Thursday, features a live nativity scene, luminarias, music, shopping and other holiday festivities.

'What I want to do is expand that so that more people can experience it,” he said. 'In order to foster that, ultimately I'd like to see an animated display in every window going down Main Street.”