Submitted photo Steve Thares of Marshall has turned Christmas village assembly into an annual tradition. He maintains a village with hundreds of pieces in his three season porch at his home.

MARSHALL — Steve Thares believes in getting into the Christmas spirit one piece at a time.

Each year Thares, a resident of Marshall, constructs a miniature Christmas display with hundreds of items. They’re located in his three-season porch.

He became interested in a Christmas village five years ago when he purchased some Christmas houses for $60 at an auction in Ivanhoe.

“I bought the houses and everything went forward from there,” Thares said. “After my grandchildren liked it in the first year, I decided I wanted to keep doing it and that it should expand. I’ve kept expanding.”

The current village has sections that include the North Pole, a wilderness, items that depict England, a lake, an amusement park area, a traditional village and a farm. A model train winds its way past all of the display sections.

The train became a way to show action. It’s a popular part of the village, especially with children. A second train might be added in the future.

“It was important to have a train,” Thares said. “It’s a way to bring the village to life. With a train, it seems as though there’s action throughout the display.”

He spends about 100 hours each year assembling the village. He starts near the end of October in order to have it ready for family members on Thanksgiving.

Now that the village has reached a large size, he invites friends and neighbors over to look at it. He said about 30 people have seen it in 2023. The porch has heat for cold winter days.

Although the porch looks full, he said there are options to keep expanding. One way would be to build shelves that could take on the appearance of hills.

“I have a feeling it’s going to get bigger,” he said. “There are things I’d like to add, so it will depend on what kinds of deals I run across.”

His favorite item in the village is a replica of a traditional Woolworth’s store, which he likes because of both a personal connection and its uniqueness as a collectible.

“I worked at a Woolworth’s for 10 years,” Thares said. “Also it’s a symbol of the past that doesn’t get produced anymore.”

He plans to keep assembling the village each year for the foreseeable future. It’s always rewarding to see the reactions of family members and visitors.

“It’s a lot of work, but it’s always worth it in the end,” he said. “It warms my heart to see the smiles on people’s face. That’s always enough to make someone feel good.”