Minions spread holiday cheer in Glenville

PHOTOGRAPHER: Peter R. Barber

Minions depicted playing beer pong decorate the front lawn of Pat and Dave Bruhns on Maple Avenue in Glenville Wednesday, December 23, 2015.

If you take a drive down Maple Avenue in Glenville, wreaths, sparkling Christmas lights, red bows and other traditional decorations glitter the street, but at house number 173, smiling, wide-eyed inflatable Minion characters have come to life with the Christmas spirit.

Minions are small, yellow characters originally from the popular children’s “Despicable Me” movie series, and were featured in the film “Minions” this past summer. They have one or two eyes, vary in height and hairstyle and often get themselves into mischief.

David and Pat Bruhns were sitting out by their portable fire pit the day after Thanksgiving when they thought of an idea: Put their newly-purchased inflatable Christmas Minion decorations in the same relaxed outdoor pose.

On the balmy Monday after Thanksgiving, the homeowners spray-painted aluminum cans white, put them on sticks the Minions held to look like marshmallows being roasted over a fire and sat them in lawn chairs.

“People would stop, take pictures and honk their horns,” Pat said with a smile. “Many would drive by with their windows down with their hands out giving a ‘thumbs up.’ ”

From there, the Minions of Maple Avenue were born.

Every day throughout December, The Bruhns put Kevin, the large Minion, and Stewart, the smaller of the inflatable characters, doing different things on their property with homemade signs and props.

One day, Kevin and Stewart were helping to string up the Christmas lights on the Bruhns’ large evergreen tree in their driveway. Other days, they were found hanging stockings on the house, raking leaves, working out front or “helping” with beards, grilling, playing pranks on each other, among many other poses.

“We decided we wouldn’t spend a lot of money on props, and would try to use ones we could make ourselves,” Pat explained of the larger-than-life-sized beards, wooden signs and other items the couple used to set up the Minions each day.

On Tuesday, Kevin the Minion was at the edge of the driveway heading to mail a letter to Santa while his smaller buddy, Stewart, was across the street where the house’s mailbox sits to put bananas, a Minion’s favorite food, inside.

“We’ve done our best to try and be creative,” Dave said Wednesday. “We have some ideas for snow, if we get any.

“We’re not ruling anything out,” he saidd. “They might be back later in the winter, and next year.”

On Wednesday, the inflatables were playing beer pong next to a keg with a “fire” made of orange and red streamers and a fan in the fire pit in honor of the unseasonably warm weather.

While the Bruhns were setting the minions up in their pose for the day, people honked their horns, waved and even shouted “We love your Minions!” while driving by.

A few people even stopped and came up to them.

“My class has so enjoyed this,” said Beth Montrello, who teaches a fifth-grade class at Glencliff Elementary School. “We talk about it every day, and it has been so much fun for all of us.”

Montrello handed Pat a homemade Christmas card the local class signed, and decorated with hand-drawn Minions. A $15 giftcard to Panera Bread was attached on the back, held by two of the drawn yellow characters.

“Every day I come by because it’s so exciting to see,” Marcia Sykes, who lives down the road on Maple Avenue, said Wednesday. “It’s just marvelous, and when I saw them [the Bruhns] out, I had to thank them and let them know their efforts mean something.”

Pat said they couldn’t believe the reaction the decorations have received.

“We didn’t expect it at all,” she said Wednesday. “People went crazy, and the feedback has been really motivating.”

Pat said she has been overwhelmed by the response from her neighbors, now friends and other people in the community.

The Bruhns have received over a dozen Christmas cards from people they didn’t know before who have loved following and watching their changing Minions holiday display.

“People sent cards, have come up to the door and some have even brought cookies,” Pat said.

The Bruhns said they might continue the Minion decoration next year, and maybe make it a local tradition.

“It’s making people happy, and it’s making them smile,” Pat said.