A St. Paul man is again reimagining a classic Minnesota Christmas tradition by bringing the Dayton’s Elves display to life at his home.

John Pihaly recently announced that the Dayton’s Elves would be returning to a display at his St. Paul home starting Dec. 6.

Pihlay began collecting and restoring items from Dayton’s 8th Floor Christmas Show a few years ago, using them to recreate holiday scenes at his home for visitors to enjoy.

He’s continued to accumulate more pieces, calling this year’s display “bigger than ever," with a new side yard scene and storefront display added, the latter thanks to a collaboration with "fellow collectors" Bill Ewald and Elijah Layne.

The iconic Dayton’s Elves were on display at the Minnesota department store from 1963 to 2016.

"Come experience the nostalg

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