Nothing conjures the holiday spirit quite like Stormtroopers popping out of a Christmas present and Yoda shooting out of a snow cannon — at least according to Kevin Walls. Kevin is the mastermind behind the annual transformation of his family’s home in Apex into the Apex Star Wars House, a beloved stop on the Town of Apex’s annual Holiday Tour of Lights.
“I think now we’re up to close to 100 Christmas Star Wars–themed inflatables,” says Kevin. “It’s at a point now where I have to pick and choose which ones are going to make the cut.”
The Walls family has been a part of the tour since its inception in 2020, back then showcasing a mere 20 Star Wars inflatables.
“One thing that made that display unique was out of the 20 or so inflatables we had, I was able to get about 10 prototypes, a one-of-a-kind design that companies have an opportunity to proceed with and mass produce or not. … I had about 10 of those, and so there were 10 inflatables you couldn’t see anywhere else,” Kevin says.
“The second year, I started getting into creating and building, and that’s been a hobby of mine for the last six years. … I make a lot of my own inflatables. We have a lot of mannequins and things that I’ve spent a lot of time making and painting and building and creating and sourcing parts for.”
“Making cool Star Wars stuff” is the easy part, says Kevin. Adding the holiday flair poses a tougher challenge to his creativity.
The result is a standout display on Homegate Circle with the front yard, porch, and roof filled with themed decorations, nearly all handmade, complemented with lights, motion, and sound. No wonder the home is a marquee stop on the Town’s holiday tour.
New to the collection for 2026 are custom figures of C-3PO, with lights and sound, and Princess Leia, which join Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Chewbacca, R2-D2, Yoda, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Darth Vader. Kevin’s love of Star Wars goes beyond the original trilogy, and you’ll find plenty of Mandalorian and Grogu references, a life-size Greedo, Jar Jar Binks, Sith, and countless other icons of Star Wars lore, often bedecked in Santa hats and holiday scarves.
“The easy part for me is making cool Star Wars stuff. The challenge is, ‘How am I going to Christmas this thing up?’”
In his garage work zone, Kevin employs a combination of trial and error, learning from other decorating enthusiasts, and 3D printing to produce his one-of-a-kind figures and inflatables.
“In these rare pockets of time when there’s nothing going on, I’ll break out a knife and some wire, tape, and glue and make an inflatable or 3D print something and go out and spray paint it,” he says.
“Trying to add motion to the display is something really cool. We have some animatronics, too, that when you come up to them, they’ll wave their arms and say something and those kinds of things.”
Kevin Walls, pictured with his wife Ashley and daughters Kamryn and Krosby, works in his garage creating custom inflatables and lifelike characters for the family’s holiday display.
“Apex’s Holiday Tour of Lights is a driving tour. But when you get here, it’s heavily encouraged to walk the sidewalk, to come into the driveway. If you don’t, you’re going to miss a lot. You have to get close to some of the (elements) for it to activate,” says Kevin, adding that photos and videos of the display are welcome, but touching the figures is prohibited.
“I wanted people, when they walked or drove by, to feel like they were a part of a scene,” he says.
“Star Wars, that’s where my passion is — trying to create stuff that wows people and that folks won’t see somewhere else.”
“It’s one of my family’s favorite stops every year,” says Kerrin Cox, communications manager for the Town of Apex and project manager of the Holiday Tour of Lights. “Kevin’s house is a destination, and it’s gorgeous.”
“The tours began as a byproduct of covid when everybody was stuck at home. People really couldn’t get out and enjoy company with one another like they are used to during the holiday season. We wanted to fill that gap by creating a safe and individualized activity that people could participate in,”
Kerrin describes.
Glimpse lights and frights at An Upside Down Holiday on Village Loop Drive.
The popularity of the tour was instant — “We’ve always had exceptional participation,” she says.
Online applications open quietly via the town of Apex website, and the news spreads “like wildfire,” says Kerrin. “Within a week and a half we have enough participants, and we’ll take the (application) down.”
“Some people have really wholesome small decorations that are very sweet and very true to their family. And then we have people like Kevin Walls that light up the block,” she says. “We have a growing population, and so we have newcomers that join in every year, and it gives them an opportunity to showcase their house and make community in their own way.”
Typically there are two routes, each designed to be accomplished in 60 to 75 minutes.
“An hour to an hour and 15 is pretty doable for the average family on a weeknight,” she says.
“We always try to start (each route) centered in town so that people can go eat in downtown or can go to a local coffee shop and support local as they kick off their drive of the tour.”
Kerrin says the goal of the tour has always been simple, seasonal fun. There isn’t a contest or element of competition, just the homes with their individual flair and the childlike wonder they inspire.
“It feels uncomplicated in a season where things are really complicated.
“Putting on holiday pajamas, getting snacks, getting a holiday playlist together, and then just hopping in the car with your family or friends and taking the tour — it’s a simple pleasure.”
facebook.com/WallsFamDecorates
apexnc.org/1718/Seasonal-Tours
- 2026 Gift Guide
- Mrs. Claus Knows
- Season’s Sips
- Pay It Forward: PORCH Cary
- Small Business Spotlight: Annelore’s German Bakery
- Erica Chats: A New Type of Tradition
- All That — and Joy
- Seen and Served: Milo’s Cafe
- Garden Adventurer: Poinsettia Care Essentials: Earth, Wind, and Fire
- Recipes from Readers: Dark Chocolate Bourbon Brownies
- Liquid Assets: Cranberry Kölsch
- Oh Come, All Ye Jedi
- Holiday Happenings
