SUMMERFIELD, N.C. — It might not look like much from ground level, but from above, it’s a different story.
“I like to think that people in helicopters, planes, etc., might get a grin out of seeing it,” said Brad Williams.
If you’ve flown in or out of Greensboro recently then you’ve probably noticed it. For the past few weeks, Brad has been working on his annual July Fourth tradition. It takes about fifteen hours to delicately carve a giant American flag into his backyard.
So how does he do it?
“There’s a lawn flag calculator online that you can use to determine how big the stars should be, how wide and tall the flag itself should be, and it’s just been a fun project and a good thing for folks to see from the air,” Williams said. "My first year was probably 30 hours. It took quite a bit longer but now that I have it down I can get it done quicker.”
It’s something he started about five years ago when he lived in Hillsborough and hasn’t looked back since.
“A few years ago I saw that there was a contest on Facebook for the best 4th of July-themed lawn and I decided to give it a shot. I have a background in lawn care my father and I kinda grew up doing side gig work with renovating lawns,” Williams said.
Williams posted a "Do-It-Yourself" tutorial on his Youtube channel detailing step-by-step how to create the landscaping wonder. While it’s a fun project he looks forward to every year, it’s not just a landscaping wonder. It means so much more.
“Bringing out the July Fourth holiday is important to me. There’s a lot going on in the world that people can fight about, but I think this is just a fun way to remember what America is about, no matter what’s going on in politics. I just think it’s fun to show off your patriotism,” Williams said.
It’s also a teaching lesson for his little boy, Connor, and a family tradition he hopes is passed down.
“Connor and I have been planning this for weeks. He’s helped me as much as he could, and I think it’s important to show him that when you set a goal, it’s important to stick to it,” Williams said.
Right now, July Fourth is the only holiday that Brad transforms his yard, but he says next year he might do something similar for Memorial Day.
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