|Traffic Shuts Down 2016 GCL Fight Contestant

[mpageler]

Local TV news segment this week that Trista Lights, a 2016 contestant on Great Christmas Light Fight show closed down their display because of traffic.

 

Trista Lights Show Video

 

They are in twestern Minneapolis/St Paul metro area and for neighborhood goodwill, pulled the plug this week.   500 cars on popular nights with an increase in troublesome "party buses'. Christmas Light Tour business is pretty popular in the Twin Cities.  People get off the bus, loud, obnoxious and coming up into the year.

 

No plans to try it next year and is looking  for someone else home that might want to take on his display

 

In remembing their GCLF segment, 2016 might have been their fisrst year.    They jumped into lighting whole-hog and probably could benefit with a "traffic management plan". 

[Richard Hamilton]

Interesting.  One reason why we don't advertise our lights outside of our neighborhood.  Even people find out about it as is ;-)

 

[jfuller8400]

I just saw this story as well.  I think it's sad but I understand why he didn't want to impose all of that on his neighbors.  I too don't advertise my show for some of the same reasons.  Once again, the bad behavior of a few impacts the vast majority.

[Speedster]

Bummer, but understandable.  I was worried about the potential increase in traffic too, so since this is our 1st year using LOR, I didn't even put a "Tune To" sign on our lawn.  I just told a few neighbors, relatives, and friends from work which FM frequency I'm transmitting on. 

[B.Y.R.G.]

2 hours ago, mpageler said:

500 cars on popular nights with an increase in troublesome "party buses'. Christmas Light Tour business is pretty popular in the Twin Cities.  People get off the bus, loud, obnoxious and coming up into the year.
 

Wow I must live in the sticks because I've never heard of Tour buses cruising around looking at Christmas lights.  Sounds like some are a full fledged party bus complete with all the trimmings (loud, obnoxious and drunk idiots).  Brutal to hear they had to shut down because of traffic and such as it's an awesome display!

[HVACR]

Pleasant people will be praised and obnoxious people will be tazed. Crowd control Texas style.

[mpageler]

I know others say be careful in wishing for "press" on your display.  

 

If you have nice display, people will find it from word of mouth w/o press. This past Saturday was the first itme that I had basically a car outside over a couple hour period versus 1 every 20 minutes.  When I say 5 cars, I thought anymore and it would get crazy out there. 

 

I don't have that wish for press anymore. II 50 car loads of visitors on a Friday/Saturday  are smiling,  I have done my job and don't need 500 to justify my display.  I don't have the Facebook mentality of more "likes" meaning anything.

 

[Kapkirk]

Sad for sure, we ask friends and neighbors to not put on facebook or the others for just the traffic reason. We are averaging 100-200 cars a night weekdays and 300 on weekends, last Christmas eve and Christmas day we were over 500. One of our neighbors sits on his porch and just enjoys the counting LOL. We have had a couple bus's, but they are the retirement home kind with the older crowd and they are not loud or obnoxious, Thank the good Lord.

 

We had the Local fire department engine and paramedic squad last year, they were a bunch of nice young people just taking a holiday break and enjoying the lights, the whole neighbor hood was glad to see and speak with them. And of course we get the sheriff deputy's all the time, just don't want to have to hire them for the traffic. We love sitting in our driveway in front of the fire pit and watching the cars and walkers, a lot of the time we get 8-10 neighbors just sitting with us and enjoying the traffic. Here's hoping it just stays that way.

 

[debtoews]

With a 34 home show- we have to manage our traffic. Since Nov. 24th over 10,000 cars have come thru including party buses, buses, limos etc.  We place cones in the gutters to prevent people from parking.  If they want to walk, they have to park off the lane.  We have multiple people out during show times to talk to people and answer questions and monitor for issues.  Thank God we havent had drunken stupid people.  Now thats not without saying we have neighbors that complain about noise, traffic, trash and the light are too bright...(???)  Really a shame that these folks just shut down rather than try and manage the problem.  Im sure a few phone calls to the local party bus outfits could have helped. K6ccc was here recently and he can vouch for our operation  :-)

[k6ccc]

49 minutes ago, debtoews said:

K6ccc was here recently and he can vouch for our operation  :-)

Yep, I was there last Saturday evening.  I helped (a little) with the nightly setup which takes over an hour.  But with essentially a continuous stream of cars coming through for the entire run of the show, it just worked.  Deb and the crew does a great job!

 

[debtoews]

Thank Jim!

[bryan.hurley5]

This is so sad! I think I remember that episode. If I can recall correctly, they built their house for the sole purpose of light shows. They had power recepticals and Ethernet plugs throughout their yard and house while it was being built just so they can hook it all up.

[Bigfrog 59]

On ‎12‎/‎20‎/‎2017 at 9:37 AM, mpageler said:

 

No plans to try it next year and is looking  for someone else home that might want to take on his display

So sad that they had to shut down such an amazing display due to traffic. I live 5 miles from the nearest town on 70 acres and when the traffic gets to bad I park them out in the horse pasture. Hmmmm I don't suppose they would want to move there display to Alberta Canada eh.