E-Paper
How this beloved years-long Christmas light show in Louisiana was cancelled over complaints
Homeowner Owen Holman’s Christmas spectacle had been enjoyed by several residents every year since 2006
A longstanding Christmas light showin Shreveport, Louisiana, was cancelled in 2022 due to neighbours’ objection. Homeowner Owen Holman’s Christmas spectacle had been enjoyed by several residents every year since 2006.
"Our intent was to show off some technical things and provide for families, especially children, amazing the children was my goal," Holman told local ABC affiliate KTBS.
The lights were synchronised to music that played in Holman's front yard. The display usually ran from Black Friday through Christmas.
However, Holman had to quit setting up the lights last year after three different neighbours complained about traffic, noise, and lower property values. "I have to live with these people, and I have to consider their feelings, along with everyone else, so let's just take a step back this year," Holman said.
"You know, you want to make the neighbors happy, and it kind of looks like you have 10,000 people against three," he told local NBC affiliate KTAL. "It kind of makes me sad."
Holman took to Facebook in 2022 to announce the cancellation of his display, explaining what issues his neighbours said they faced. “Not long ago, one of our neighbors in the circle came over to visit with me about our Christmas light show. He pointed out how the lights were inconveniencing “all” of the neighbors during the four-week Christmas season,” he wrote. “One of his issues was that the light show lasted too long into the night and should be shut off at 8:30pm or 9pm. He said that Christmas Eve was also a problem because everyone had visitors and the traffic was excessive and very inconvenient.”
“I did apologize to all of our neighbors. It seems that I had been focusing on the thousands of you and your families who have come to be amazed and awed by the light show. Producing this show was the way I chose to thank and give back to the community by using the talents with which I have been blessed,” Holman added.
Adding that it was never his intent to create an inconvenience for his neighbours, Holman said, “Our own family has been “inconvenienced” occasionally by not being able to zip right into our driveway. We did not see this as an inconvenience but instead, made us happy to see people enjoying the show. The occasional extra one to two minute wait wasn’t a problem for us at all.”
