Sonia Koziar helping make spirits bright at family-run Koziar's Christmas Village for 75 years

BERNVILLE, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- Walking the village is a Christmas tradition for many, but for Sonia Koziar it's a trip down memory lane.

"This house was the house that we all grew up in," says Koziar, who is now the owner and President of Koziar's Christmas Village in Bernville, Pennsylvania.

She and her three siblings were raised on what was then a dairy farm.

"My mother kept putting things in the windows, different decorations. It was just really for our family's enjoyment," she says.

It became known in the area as 'the Christmas House'.

"My mother and father decided they needed to do something more on the outside," says Koziar.

They opened for the holiday season in 1948.

"We built different pathways and different buildings, so then it became more of a 'Christmas Village' kind of place," she says. "And my father would say, what can we do next year?"

Today, Koziar continues her family's legacy and can often be found greeting folks as they enter.

The village has grown to more than 50 buildings, each with its own theme. She says the very first building they all agreed on as children was 'Twas the Night Before Christmas.

"We remember being little and people lifting us up," says Koziar.

She says that's why a lot of the buildings have lower windows, "so little children can look in themselves."

There are also family photos and artifacts on display.

"We actually rode in these sleighs with our horse, Scout," says Koziar.

Every year, they add something new to the village.

"The newest building here is the Christmas building," she says, which houses a vintage truck.

And the glow of the season is only growing brighter. Now, there are over one million lights.

"And every year we add many, many more," she says. "It's just a beautiful place."

There are many great spots for photo ops. The village boasts many different trains, a manger, and what's been dubbed, 'the kissing bridge'. Visitors can also get their pictures taken with Santa.

Many families come back year after year.

"It's an annual tradition now that I have grandchildren," says Susan Ditchey from Bethel, Pennsylvania. "I brought my kids when they were young."

"It's so much fun to be able to get out here and just look at all these lights," says Ditchey's daughter-in-law, Alison Bogert from Leesport, Pennsylvania, who also brought her young daughter this year. "The little kids love it."

Braxton Andino traveled over two hours from Glen Burnie, Maryland with his family to see the village.

"I like it all, everything," he says.

"The smiles are just huge," says Koziar. "It really makes all the year-round work 100% worth it." She says the village keeps her young, because "it's impossible to grow old here."

For more information:

Koziar's Christmas Village: https://koziarschristmasvillage.com

Koziar's Christmas Village
782 Christmas Village Road
Bernville, PA 19506