Justin Carlson, owner of ETX Lawn & Order - Special Lighting Unit, started his business due to his love for Christmas lights and 20-plus years of experience installing holiday lights. (Santana Wood/Tyler Morning Telegraph)

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas in downtown Tyler.

If you drive by or walk around the square, you’ll likely see crews from the ETX Lawn & Order Special Lighting Unit. The East Texas-based holiday light installation company was hired by the city to spruce up the square, just in time for the city’s annual tree lighting and the Rotary Clubs of Tyler Christmas Parade set for December.

Owner and installer Justin Carlson said his team started work on Wednesday. By Thursday, tree trunks were strung with lights; red, green and white Xenon bulbs lined the sidewalks; and lighted garland was wrapped around lamp posts. On Friday, Carlson said his crew will bring in a lift so they’re able to reach the top of the trees to install more lighting. All trees surrounding the square’s perimeter will be lit differently with red, white and green patterns.

“I think it’s going to look really cool in the end,” Carlson said.

The process can be tedious because of the company’s extreme attention to detail, he said. The team must complete the project before the Dec. 1 parade, but Carlson is hoping to wrap it up a few days ahead of the deadline, as long as things go according to plan.

“In my mind, I want it to go quicker, but when we actually get out here, it’s kind of like a turtle trotting through peanut butter,” Carlson said, noting how meticulously his team installs the lights and how many areas they need to cover.

Still, Carlson said he enjoys the process very much.

“I love doing this,” Carlson said. “Honestly, if I could do it year-round, I’d love to. I’m very much a Christmas guy.”

The local business owner said he has been installing holiday lighting on houses since he was just a kid. As a child, he enjoyed lighting up his parents’ home in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, just a few miles from the airport. He always told everyone he wanted the airplane pilots and passengers to look down and see his work.

Because Carlson loved doing this so much and did such a good job, his neighbors began to reach out to him about decorating their homes. After a few years, word spread and he had over a dozen houses he was decorating for Halloween and Christmas.

With that love instilled in him and knowing how much other East Texans love the holiday season too, Carlson launched his lighting installation business. He and his team perform installations at area businesses, churches, homes and more.

Another special element

The city’s Christmas decorating is typically done by the Parks & Rec Department, but according to Main Street Director Amber Varona, it was time to give them a break.

“We realize how tedious and daunting that is to really pull them away for about two weeks it takes them to (decorate),” Varona said in an interview with our news partners at CBS19.

She said there’s also a surprise element in the works, as the city will have a LED Dynamic RGB Illuminated Park Bench this year for photo opportunities.

“It’s gonna be really neat,” Varona said. “It’s a new technology that’s kind of floating around, and not many people have it. So, we’re one of the first from what I hear.”

ETX Lawn & Order is in charge of decorating the new feature.

“It’s going to be lit up (by) all kinds of neat little colors,” Carlson said. “That’s going to be the picture spot. I know there’s a lot of people that flock down here for the Christmas parade on Dec. 1.”

The Rotary Clubs of Tyler Christmas Parade is scheduled for 6 p.m. Dec. 1 in downtown Tyler. The city’s tree lighting ceremony will follow.

Interested in holiday lights of your own?

Carlson said ETX Lawn & Order’s lighting unit has a long list of clients this year, but he is still taking jobs for anyone who is interested in taking advantage of their services.

“We are approaching the end of the season, but I’m still bidding people and people are still booking,” he said. “If there’s anyone who hasn’t installed lights yet or is looking to have this kind of work done, we’re happy to have them reach out. … This is truly something we enjoy doing.”

Carlson can be reached at 903-707-7688. His team services Tyler, Longview, Bullard, Flint and surrounding cities. More examples of the unit’s work can also be found on their Facebook page, ETX Lawn & Order — Special Lighting Unit, or at etxlo.com.