Dispute between neighbors shuts down Christmas light display

A dispute between neighbors in Cathedral City is forcing one man to shut down his Christmas lights display early this year.

The Simmons Family’s Dancing Christmas Light Show has been going on for 8 years. It’s a few streets over from the popular Candy Cane Lane. The show’s lights are synchronized to holiday music, which makes the lights “dance” to the music. The music is broadcasted via short-range radio.

“My Christmas is literally ruined, I do this for the community and I do this for FIND Food Bank and we are going to lose about eight to ten thousand meals in donations just for not being on for the next week,” said Micheal Simmons.

Neighbors have complained about traffic and blocked driveways. Some have complained about safety after a man and unborn child were killed in a shooting last Saturday a few blocks from the display.

Officials with Cathedral City say the area is safe and they have added patrols to the area for the holiday. They also told KESQ that they have received complaints from neighbors about the display for years.

“The people that do come out here, we ask that you be courteous to the neighbors, don’t park in the driveway, don’t put up loud music, keep the volume down in your vehicle, and don’t litter. But even when that happens it’s still the excessive traffic, the neighbors still don’t like it, they are juts Grinches in my opinion.”

The light show is combined with music and lasts about 15 minutes. The owner of the display has agreed to shut down the musical portion of the light show at midnight on Christmas. The display would normally run for a week after Christmas.

Simmons doesn’t know if he will continue the display next year.