"Christmas Lights Gone Wild!" goes dark

We'd like to take this opportunity to officially apologize to the citizens of Warren County, Ohio for ruining their good time. As one of many media outlets that reported on Deerfield Township resident Carson Williams' amazing multimedia Christmas lights show, we feel partly responsible for the mini-frenzy that developed over the display. So many people ended up visiting the Williams' sub-division, that two folks got in a minor accident (next time try parking while you watch, k?), and sheriff's deputies asked him to put an end to the revelry indefinitely. Isn't it just like mainstream media to ruin something so precious and beautiful? Those of you who still need your holiday display fix can try hitting up Allentown, Pennsylvania's Lights in the Parkway, which is good family fun even without TSO's Wizards of Winter.

[matt2 @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

"and sheriff�s deputies put an end to the revelry indefinately"

no he shut them down by him self with no oders from the sherifs office.
link to local newpaper storie on it
http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051208/NEWS01/512080392

[Joe Henson @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

I was sent this a while back... superb... and the dreadful music too.... wow

[wayne madsen @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

so this display was REAL? i could have swore it was all a hoax!

[Scoobydoo @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

woohoo... I found my Christmas gift for this year:

http://www.animatedlighting.com/products/christmaskit.asp

[dmbartos @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

Wow, I did not think that Lights In The Parkway was too well known of a thing. I've lived in the valley most of my young life and have yet to go through that thing. Maybe this year I will finally shell out the 5 green backs, dodge the drive by shootings, and really see if it was worth a plug by engadget.

A-town represent!

[Lummox @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

No, it was real. Apart from the obvious news storiers confirming it was real, you can watch the signaling light on the left side of the house going off perfectly in it's own rythm. And quite frankly, piecing that video together using stills would be a lot harder than just buying a DCX unit and doing this for real.

[John Doe. @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

I'm with wayne on this. I thought this was found to be a hoax???

[Kim Miller @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

I received this email and could not believe it...I love it...I wish I could see the whole 12 minutes with the other songs...I hope you turn them back on very soon...Thanks for not being a BAH HUMBUG!!! Merry Christmas.

[Bud_AV @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

No hoax, the details and the Today Show interview are available at snopes; http://www.snopes.com/photos/arts/xmaslights.asp

[nullsmack @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

haha, some idiot's actually thought this was a hoax? Obviously it was because it was posted on the internet amirite?

HURR

[James @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

If you can't make it to Allentown and need a Christmas light fix, you can also check out the insanity on 37th Street in Austin, Texas.

http://gargravarr.cc.utexas.edu/stereo/37thst2002/

http://www.io.com/~maddog/slid_x37.htm

[Allentown residents unite @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

Oh man, giving Allentown some love.. Thanks Engadget.

[vishal @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

Those of you that thought this was a hoax were probably referring to this (an unrelated christmas light hoax):
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/12/15/tech/main661268.shtml

[Jay @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

Ugh, my friends and I were planning an overnighter from NJ to Ohio after finals to witness the insanity.
SHOT DOWN! =

[Buzz_Kill @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

Dang shame it is. I will turn off my rotating head reigndeer, inflatable snow globe blowing artificial snow, shimmering icicle lights and my 8-2ft lighted christmas trees blinking in sychronization to jingle bells for 1-minute in respect for the light show of shows. God rest ye merry christmas light display. God rest.

[Rain @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

"... his family spent about $10,000 on the display... "

Ouch.

[Matt @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

break.com has some videos of it up.... pretty crazy...

http://www.break.com/articles/houselights.html

http://www.break.com/articles/houselights2.html

[tainted @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

Wow... A reference to Allentown on Engadget... and already another person from here who's commented... I feel like I'm in the center of something for once. :)

[Laurent "crp" Hogue @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

Nothing like making your own kit, pal! What's the fun of paying 500$ for a machine while you could have so much fun by programming your serial port? :)

[Navie @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

So this thing WAS for real? I was never sure. But I had my doubts. I thought it could have been a series of stills (or small clips of video) that was cleverly edited together to give the appearance of synchronized motion.

[JogJog @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

GOOD!

The USA consumes 25% of the worlds energy. and therefore it also contributes to global warming and is the biggest polluter, more than any other nation in the world, especially consideraring that the US population is approx. 5% of the world's...

Now I am not saying we should all go back to the middle ages;
but considering the fact that we are already changing the world's climate (this year had the biggest number of hurricanes in recorded history: they are more abundunt because of warmer waters - we are contributing to more hurricanes like Catherina - & just consider their cost!) we should use the world's resources with a little more common-sense, not just waste them.

The guy had something like 26,000 light bulbs - just think of the amount of energy (and carbons released in the atmosphere, and the smoke) needed to operate this lighting operation for so many hours !!!

[James @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

"dreadful music" ??? wtf ???

i thought it was one of the most creative (and powerful) pieces of xmas tunage i've ever heard.

the light show is/was spectacular too... but when everyone starts doing it, people are gonna be walking about, shrugging, and saying "oh, that again" :)

[Tony @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

Add another who is shocked to see Allentown and the lights in the parkway referenced on Engadget. I moved away from that area a while back, but will be there next week.

Oh, and the display is nothing like the animated one in the video. Don't make a long trip :)

Drive by shootings? You must be kidding.