Dunkirk Trail Christmas Lights Display

[coffeebean]

I just found out the Dunkirk Trail Christmas lights display will not be set up this season. Anyone know why?

[JoMar]

That was announced last year.....the lead person decided he didn't want to do it anymore and nobody would or could take it over. May have been other reasons, like not enjoying the Holidays because of all the traffic and need for the neighborhood to manage all the congestion.

[HiHoSteveO]

https://www.**************.com/2018/12/25/last-chance-for-villagers-to-enjoy-massive-dunkirk-trail-christmas-light-show/

The link won't post but Google "The Villages Daily Sun Dunkirk" for the December 25, 2018 Daily Sun article.

[EdFNJ]

It too bad as the display was amazing and we enjoyed it in the 3 Christmas's we've been here. HOWEVER as it grew in popularity and "advertising" the traffic it created on O'Dell and the number of accidents caused by the traffic it created won't be missed. Sometimes traffic was backed up from Dunkirk Trail, down O'Dell, through the Morse gates and at it's peak just down to the Colony exit on Morse. First year we were here someone was seriously injured at Dunkirk/O'Dell. A few nights they had a cop directing traffic but most of the time it was a free for all with carts, cars and walkers creating a rough situation on the single lane O'Dell Circle. I believe that was part of the reason they stopped. Sadly it had become too big and required traffic control. It once took us almost 1/2 hr to get from Colony to our street (Harston) off O'Dell only about 1/2 mile past Dunkirk Trail.

[John_W]

I remember two years ago the residents had been storing their lights at a public storage lot in Fruitland Park and their locker was broken into and $20,000 in decorations were stolen. The newspaper said person in charge was asked if they would carry on and he said they would try and start over and keep it going. Possibly this has something to do with stopping.

Since we cannot link to Villages News, here is the story.

Villages News May 21, 2017
Dunkirk Trail Christmas lights show will be bigger and better, even after theft of items

First the bad news: Insurance won’t cover the costs of stolen Christmas lights that have been a holiday highlight in The Villages for the past several years. Also, the storage facility from which the lights were stolen, isn’t offering any reimbursement.

Now the good news: The show will go on. And it will be bigger and better than ever.

Village of Hadley resident Hans Martel, who spearheads the annual lights show on Dunkirk Trail, has already replaced the stolen holiday lights and rebuilt the staging fixtures.

He promises the show, which has raised $14,000 through the years for food banks and a bullet-proof vest for the sheriff’s bloodhound, will be bigger and better than ever.

Initially, Villagers had offered to pitch in for the replacement costs. Initially, Mantel declined the offers.

“Unfortunately, this has been a bigger expense than I realized,” he said.

If you want to make a donation, make your check payable to “Hadley Christmas Lights,” and send it to:

Hans Mantel
2345 Dunkirk Trail
The Villages FL 32162

[Nucky]

Any chance for a last-minute Christmas Miracle?

[coffeebean]

https://www.**************.com/2018/12/25/last-chance-for-villagers-to-enjoy-massive-dunkirk-trail-christmas-light-show/

The link won't post but Google "The Villages Daily Sun Dunkirk" for the December 25, 2018 Daily Sun article.

I went to the Daily Sun website but I was unable to bring up the article you mentioned. What I did see is a video on Facebook of the light display in 2018. I was hoping to read an article about why they have decided not to put up the display anymore.

Thanks to everyone who has shed some light on this.

Sad to see the display will no longer be something to look forward during the holidays.

[NotGolfer]

Any chance for a last-minute Christmas Miracle?

ONLY if someone else wants to do this. In reading the thread...or most of it....it "was" announced last year and extensively discussed on social media sites. We live in the area and will attest that traffic on Odell was ridiculous for the month of December. While it was fun and beautiful to observe, the work it entailed must have been enormous. The man who headed it up said he worked the entire year on the mechanics of it and it became too time-consuming!

[twoplanekid]

I understand about the cost of the lights/controllers and the time it takes for setup. However. electric costs are minimal. It was fun and many appreciated the efforts. Maybe some clubs or groups could try to work with merchants on a town square to have competitions and raise monies. Many things are possible with cooperation and volunteer help. It’s something to think about for next Christmas season.

Kolb Christmas Lights to Music 2012 in Urbana, Ohio on Vimeo (https://vimeo.com/53297642)

[raynan]

Another issue is that the people running it and with all the work entailed in decorating the homes in that area, the residents of that neighborhood are that much older than when it started.
We're 9 years older than when we came and some things are tougher to do. It's a shame that someone wouldn't take it over but it was a lot of work.

[HiHoSteveO]

I went to the Daily Sun website but I was unable to bring up the article you mentioned. What I did see is a video on Facebook of the light display in 2018. I was hoping to read an article about why they have decided not to put up the display anymore.

Thanks to everyone who has shed some light on this.

Sad to see the display will no longer be something to look forward during the holidays.

Sorry, I posted that (broken) link to "The Villages Daily Sun" 12/25/2018 paper, but I can't get to it now either to post the text. Annoying!

It was in The Villages Daily Sun (NOT t h e v i l l a g e s-n e w s)
Maybe someone else can get to it? I can't, but I could yesterday. Sorry!


Here's the full link below without the asterisks.
https://www. .com/2018/12/25/last-chance-for-villagers-to-enjoy-massive-dunkirk-trail-christmas-light-show/

[graciegirl]

Another issue is that the people running it and with all the work entailed in decorating the homes in that area, the residents of that neighborhood are that much older than when it started.
We're 9 years older than when we came and some things are tougher to do. It's a shame that someone wouldn't take it over but it was a lot of work.

EXACTLY.

And it goes down again to the volunteering. Many, most, of us have run the world in all of the myriad jobs we had, and the volunteering we did, and the chairing of things, and being scout leaders and room mothers and festival coordinators etc., and many of us feel the need to rest, after awhile. Someone south, a group of someone's south will take up the torch and light it in their neighborhood, as soon as they are all firmly settled and get things arranged. There will be more Christmas lights for us to see.

[EdFNJ]

Was talking to someone on Dunkirk today at a restaurant in LSL. They said that besides everything else stated there were other issues relating to safety & liability that would have had to have been addressed which made it even more of an issue then just the time and effort. While I have no idea if it is true or not it does make sense.

[NotGolfer]

Was talking to someone on Dunkirk today at a restaurant in LSL. They said that besides everything else stated there were other issues relating to safety & liability that would have had to have been addressed which made it even more of an issue then just the time and effort. While I have no idea if it is true or not it does make sense.

I can see the safety/liability thing being a factor. I might remember someone had an accident while viewing the lights. Some of the walkers didn't seem aware of vehicle traffic. I think it could be a matter of time there could be something awful that happened. I know our daughter (who walked down there) almost got hit by a car on Odell a few years ago. Don't know the details on that however.

[rjn5656]

It will be missed. Thank you to all those who make it happen all those years.

[coffeebean]

I'll join in to say thanks to those who made it happen all those years. Dunkirk had the best Christmas Lights Display in The Villages. It will surely be missed.

[Taltarzac725]

It will be missed. Thank you to all those who make it happen all those years.

Really enjoyed the trips to see the Dunkirk Trail Christmas lights. Many thanks to the Villagers that did all the work to make that happen so many years. :bigbow:

[bwint7]

We always loved the light display on Dunkirk. Many, many hanks to Hans and his neighbors for giving us that joy for as long as they did.