Lights, sound, balloons make house theme park

Conlon estimates that he illuminates 100,000 lights at Christmas time, but he does not stop there. He also decorates his Tara-styled home for Halloween, Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Easter, and July Fourth.

As Halloween approaches, he has added a new pirate-ship inflatable that floats in a brook on his half-acre yard to complement the 35 other inflatables. A fun house greets children at the bridge over the brook. Animated characters speak and move. Strobe lights slash the night, and music, piped through strategically placed speakers, blasts out “Monster Mash’’ and Michael Jackson songs.

The neighbors seem to tolerate his extravagances and the kids love it. He is expecting 1,000 trick-or-treating children this year, and he has already stocked 150 pounds of candy. He brings in four private security guards to control the traffic flow and a few years ago rewired his home to handle the extra electricity he needs.

“I have my own transformer and my own pole in the backyard,’’ he said. “It had to be upgraded, or the house would have burned down. It was that bad.’’

During the Christmas light-up, which extends from the day after Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day, his electric bill is over $1,000.

Other homeowners in this corner of Saugus on the edge of the Breakheart Reservation have a long tradition of holiday decorating at Christmas time. Saugus police records reveal only two calls to Conlon’s home in three years, according to Assistant Police Chief Leonard Campanello, for traffic complaints and the duration of his lights.

Candace Booras, who lives across the street, said: “I’m in the neighborhood, and it causes traffic. But it’s in the holiday spirit. I like it, personally.’’

During peak viewing times, Conlon hires private-duty police details or his own security guards to control traffic, which can clog the busy parkway a quarter-mile from Route One.

Nearby neighbor Ellen Faiella said: “You can’t blame the traffic on Mr. Conlon. I’m a lifelong resident of the Fellsway neighborhood. We’re pretty proud of our Christmas lights up here.’’

Born in Cleveland, Ohio, but with New England roots, Conlon graduated from Belmont High School and entered the security business, training guard dogs in Roxbury. In 1987, he took over the business, which later expanded to Minuteman Security of East Boston.

He also owns and operates Michael C Productions, a disc jockey and karaoke sing-along service in Saugus that provides music for weddings, parties, and corporate gatherings.

His decorating hobby began at his former town house in Winthrop nearly 20 years ago. He lived in a thickly settled neighborhood, so he decorated only as space allowed. He took his decorative dreams to the next level when he moved to Saugus nine years ago, and he has been expanding ever since.

Next-door neighbor Jessica Doherty said Conlon even put decorations on her property. “Before we actually moved in, we had Halloween decorations on our front yard,’’ she recalled. “He asked if he could put up lights, and we said yes.’’

New additions vie for space in his vast collection of inflatables and other decorations, which he stores off-season in a two-car garage, a large utility shed, his attic, and in space he uses at a nearby building.

“I shop all year long,’’ he said. “I’m on the Internet shopping. This stuff comes from all over. When I’m on a trip and I find something, I ship it back home.’’

Along with his love of holidays, Conlon loves Elvis. He is an Elvis impersonator, and his wife Trish is a singer who performs with Hot Spot Cabaret at local clubs and impersonates Connie Francis and Patsy Cline.

Inside their house, the Conlons’ family room is an Elvis shrine. There are replica gold and platinum record displays on several walls, along with Elvis stamps and photographs. The centerpiece, though, is a bigger-than-life-size statue of Elvis wearing sunglasses, leather pants, and gold jacket while strumming a blue guitar.

Upstairs, there’s an Elvis replica bedroom set, styled after the one in Graceland. “I just thought it was pretty cool,’’ he said.

Conlon and his wife do not have children, but they clearly enjoy the crowds. Of the six holidays Conlon celebrates with decorations, Halloween is the second most popular after Christmas. He often looks for a costume for himself; one year he dressed as Elvis.

“She married into this,’’ he said of his wife. “When it’s done, she’s more relieved than during the process. She enjoys Halloween. She loves seeing the costumes, which seem to get better and better each year. They come from all over the place.’’

Marc Langlois, his chief design coordinator for seven years, said: “ I try to change it up every year a little bit, move things around. I try to do things a little different. I enjoy seeing the people’s faces after it’s all done. It’s the best part of it.’’

Said Conlon: “I never thought it would get like this. I never pictured myself, when I was young, doing this. It just happened.’’