Photo courtesy of Council member Gay Donnell Willis.
This year’s award for most controversial holiday display may go to Preston Hollow neighbors Ryan and Mandi Devitis.
The Devitises’ Christmas lights blew up on social media this week after people started flocking to the neighborhood to experience their extravagant light display. The display features what seems to be an immeasurable number of lights on the house and lawn, which is also home to decorative reindeer, nutcrackers and a Santa with President-elect Donald Trump’s face. The couple have both posted videos of the display on TikTok, with Mandi’s video gaining hundreds of thousands of views and hundreds of comments.
@dad2_cdSending you the most joyful Christmas cheer from my home to yours! May the brilliance of festive lights and the cozy warmth of the season ignite your heart with happiness!
The house has been featured on The Today Show and several newscasts, as well as on Snoop Dogg’s own TikTok.
Not everyone is enjoying the increased traffic and twinkly display, however.
Ryan shared a video on Wednesday of a Notice of Violation from the City of Dallas Department of Code Compliance for light glare and noise violation, calling his neighbors “the real-life Grinch,” though he made the adjustments required for code compliance.
When viewers noted the changes, Ryan shared that he also received a voicemail from Council member Gay Donnell Willis.
“Ask Councilwoman Gay Donnell Willis & @cityofdallas. She left a voicemail, calling it a “nuisance,” he commented.
Council member Gay Donnell Willis included the house in her most recent newsletter, stating that “parking and walking through the neighborhood is disrupting this season for neighbors.”
To mitigate the traffic, Dallas PD is asking visitors not to stop in the road and to stay on marked crosswalks when walking. Off-duty Dallas police officers were hired by a third party to help with traffic flow on the street, and on-duty officers have increased coverage on the neighboring streets, Willis says.
Still, holiday light viewers from Dallas and beyond are gathering to take in the display. One Dallasite even requested to setup a proposal to his girlfriend outside of the light display, which the Devitises accepted. And, of course, she said yes.
