SAN MARCOS, Calif. (KGTV) — There's a holiday comeback story in San Marcos this year, with the famous ‘Christmas on Knob Hill’ attraction, created by Bill Gilfillen.
Last year, Gilfillen had to cancel 'Christmas on Knob Hill' after having a couple surgeries and a knee replacement.
However, Gilfillen was able to put the attraction back on again this year with the help of some neighbors, who call themselves Gilfillen's elves.
Gilfillen said he started 'Christmas on Knob Hill' over 35 years ago.
"I enjoy it so much because I love to see people happy," Gilfillen said.
Originally from Darbydale, Ohio, and with a background riding in the rodeo and caring for horses, Gilfillen found a new passion in San Marcos with 'Christmas on Knob Hill’.
Gilfillen said it is an ode to his favorite memory of the holidays as a kid.
"When I was growing up in Ohio, the only thing that we got to do at Christmas time was to go around looking at lights on houses because my family was very poor," Gilfillen said. "I told my mother, I said, one day I'm gonna have a place where people can come."
Gilfillen made good on that childhood dream and created a staple in the community. It's so well-known that the attraction can be searched on Google, Yelp, and more.
Gilfillen also said there was one year when a Santa was a part of the attraction for 10 days before Christmas, and over 2,700 children came out.
That is why Gilfillen said he felt depressed last year when he couldn't throw 'Christmas on Knob Hill' for the kids again, but then a neighbor named Chris Wilkinson gave Gilfillen a 'Christmas miracle'.
Wilkinson knew of Gilfillen's surgeries last year, then saw him starting to set everything again on his lawn back in September.
Wilkinson put up a Facebook post asking for volunteers to help, and Gilfillen said at one point, Wilkinson told him there were 300 people expressing interest in helping.
"I said, Chris, please don't bring 300 people to my house," Gilfillen said.
Gilfillen ended up having five men come to help him set up, and among them was Adam Kasarda.
"Adam was our ladder," Gilfillen said.
Kasarda said he's 7ft tall and happily dropped everything to help the team of volunteers.
"I told my wife I left the minors and went to the big leagues," Kasarda said.
Kasarda said he's visited Gilfillen's attraction with his family in the past and even found out about it through Google.
"I never thought in a million years I would get to see behind the curtain and be able to help," Kasarda said.
Kasarda joked that while helping, he learned something about Gilfillen's setup that stood out to him.
"The dogs have names, and they're all his former pets," Kasarka said.
Kasarda said the other remarkable thing about this experience for him was that he and all the volunteers were meeting each other, and Gilfillen, for the first time.
"The power of strangers is what I like to call it," Kasarda said.
Gilfillen said what usually takes him three months to set up, only took him two weeks with his helpers. Kasarka said he and the crew of five will be back in January to help disassemble everything.
"I knew I had really great neighbors in the neighborhood, but never to the extent of what these guys did, and without their help, I would never have been able to do it," Gilfillen said.
Gilfillen said to come check out 'Christmas on Knob Hill' in San Marcos. It will be open every night until Christmas from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
