Lights Out for Popular Southington Display

Fifty thousand twinkling lights in Southington went dark on Tuesday after the surging popularity of "Lights on  Lovley" caused "too much stress and sleepless nights," according to the homeowner behind the striking display.

β€œWe are sad to say that we have decided that last night was the last night for LightsOnLovley this year, going forward the lights will be dark," the homeowners wrote on Facebook.

"We delivered the last of the donations to Community Services this morning," they added, referencing the canned goods they had asked visitors to bring along.

 
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The Burke family began crafting the display in 2008 and worked every year to outdo themselves. This winter, 50,000 flashing lights adorned their home on  Lovley Drive, twinkling along to a musical medley from the popular movie "Frozen."

This penthouse mansion is enough to make George and Weezy jealous. Known in broker circles as “Hamptons in the Sky,” this 3,800 square foot duplex mansion offers 4,400 square feet of wraparound terraces accessible from every major room.

As the display drew more and more admirers, police asked drivers not to stop in front of the house and implemented an emergency parking ban in the area.

β€œIt’s good to hear the reaction, but it’s also a little stressful with the traffic and inconvenience it causes the neighbors,” Howard Burke, one of the organizers, said on Monday. β€œWe definitely appreciate the support of the neighbors still with us on this.”

It was meant to last through New Year's Eve, but on Tuesday, Burke said the display is done.

β€œIt was not one thing, not the angry voicemail, not the posts or comments on line, not the veiled threats of legal action, not the belittling of the donations or the media circus this has created,” the family wrote on Facebook. β€œIt has just become too much stress and sleepless nights to continue on.”

The homeowners are apologizing for shutting down early.

β€œAt this point we do not know what this means for 2015. While we suspect that the Frozen song and resulting media coverage was a one time thing, its hard to predict what would happen next year. We would happily work with the town or other organizations on potential ideas for a better location, but the logistics of setting this up is not trivial,” they wrote.

Anyone who planned to go and still wants to make a donation can bring canned goods directly to Community Services on Norton Street in Southington.

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