In Baltimore, Maryland, Miracle on 34th Street is a display of holiday lights that takes place annually on the 700 block of 34th Street (between Chestnut Avenue and Keswick Road) in Baltimore's Hampden community. The display, which involves the residents of most of the houses on the block, started in 1947, and takes place between late November and early January, celebrating its 62nd year this Christmas . The location at the time of year becomes a major tourist attraction for visitors from all over the world, sometimes drawing more than 1000 visitors on a single evening.

The display prominently features Christmas tree

Christmas tree

The Christmas tree is a decorated evergreen coniferous tree, real or artificial, and a tradition associated with the celebration of Christmas. The tradition of decorating an evergreen tree at Christmas started in Livonia and Germany in the 16th century...

s of varying styles, trains, animated figures, Walt Disney

Walt Disney

Walter Elias "Walt" Disney was an American film producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor, animator, entrepreneur, entertainer, international icon, and philanthropist, well-known for his influence in the field of entertainment during the 20th century. Along with his brother Roy O...

 cartoon characters, Hanukkah

Hanukkah

Hanukkah , also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt of the 2nd century BCE...

 menorahs, artwork, and other various symbols of the holiday season.

Notable artists

Some of the residents are renowned for their various displays. These include:

• Jim Pollock: Known for the hubcap
  Hubcap
  A hubcap, wheel cover or wheel trim is a decorative disk on an automobile wheel that covers at least a central portion of the wheel. Cars with stamped steel wheels often use a full wheel cover that conceals the entire wheel. Cars with alloy wheels or styled steel wheels generally use smaller...
  
   Christmas trees, one of which is usually displayed prominently on his lawn, along with his snowmen made of bicycle wheels. He is sometimes the only resident who allows visitors inside his house to view his artwork.
• Elaine Doyle-Gillespie: Known for her theme of peace

In popular culture

• The lit-up block of 34th Street has been seen in some Maryland Lottery
  Maryland Lottery
  The Maryland Lottery is an independent agency of the Maryland government. Its games include Mega Millions, Powerball, Multi-Match, Keno, Bonus Match 5, and numerous scratch tickets. The Maryland Lottery is headquartered in Suite 330 at 1800 Washington Boulevard, in Montgomery Business Park,...
  
   commercials.
• Actor Richard Chamberlain
  Richard Chamberlain
  George Richard Chamberlain is an American actor of stage and screen who became a teen idol in the title role of the television show Dr. Kildare .-Early life:...
  
   has been seen publicly at the event.

Neighborhood concerns

The event has drawn criticism from various city residents over the amount of traffic created by vehicles passing on the block, and parking shortages caused by visitors parking on nearby streets. No extra police officers

Baltimore Police Department

The Baltimore Police Department provides police services to the city of Baltimore, Maryland and was officially established by the Maryland Legislature on March 16, 1853...

 are used to monitor traffic.

Those on other nearby streets have also complained about noise caused by crowds from the event, and the noise and pollution caused by tour buses idling while parked on nearby streets while allowing busloads to walk along the block.

Energy issues

Participants have been criticized for the high use of energy needed to operate electronic decorations. But the block's residents have continued the annual tradition every year since 1987, regardless of rises in energy costs that have occurred in recent years. Some participants have reduced the amount of energy they use by utilizing LED

LEd

LEd is a TeX/LaTeX editing software working under Microsoft Windows. It is a freeware product....

 lights, or displaying artwork that uses little or no electricity.

According to Baltimore Gas & Electric, the average energy cost per participating resident is less than $10 per month.

In some cases, neighbors have assisted those who have trouble affording energy costs by pulling extension cord

Extension cord

An extension cord, power extender, or extension lead is a length of flexible electrical power cable with a plug on one end and one or more sockets on the other end . The term usually refers to mains extensions but is also used to refer to extensions for other types of cabling...

s into their houses. This has created concerns about fire hazards.

Local news stations have warned visitors that though people may stand on this block and claim to be collecting tips for the energy costs of the display, residents are willing to foot the bill themselves, and do not collect any donations for this purpose. However, vendors do legitimately sell refreshments at nearby corners, not for their own personal profit, but for the benefit of visitors.

External links

• Baltimore Sun photo gallery of Miracle on 34th Street
• http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=700+W+34th+St,+Baltimore,+Baltimore+City,+Maryland+21211&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=33.352165,60.46875&ie=UTF8&cd=2&geocode=FaUcWAIdvL9u-w&ll=39.328953,-76.627986&spn=0.00795,0.014763&z=16&layer=c&cbll=39.328729,-76.628669&panoid=KG5EfzysxPjX0zoURK6ewg&cbp=12,27.187361025530663,,0,-8.735465116279089700 block of West 34th Street in Baltimore on Google Street View (daytime view, not decorated, except for a wreath on one door)]