Massive Christmas display surges back up in Florida
PLANTATION, Fla. — The sparkle is back in Mark Hyatt’s yard, and it’s brighter than ever.
His family’s massive Christmas display lights the night with a seemingly infinite number of bulbs.
The Plantation attraction — one of South Florida’s most controversial — is in full swing, drawing groans from neighbors and cheers from visitors.
In the past, Hyatt has estimated using about 200,000 bulbs at his home, but this time, he doesn’t offer a tally. You’re welcome to figure it out.
“We can count he says.
The display features lit gingerbread men, toy soldiers, reindeer, a Ferris wheel that gives stuffed animals an endless ride. There’s an inflatable hot cocoa cup — even a live Santa posing for photos with children on his lap. People snapped selfies with choir singers.
“It’s a tradition,” Hyatt said. “It feels like home.”
The return of “Hyatt Extreme Christmas,” as the family calls it, marks its first time back in full swing since the city of Plantation unsuccessfully sued to shut it down.
The city, which spent nearly half a million dollars in taxpayer money to fight the display, failed to convince a judge that the scores of visitors who choked the street were a threat to public safety.
Last Christmas, after Mark and Kathy Hyatt defeated Plantation in court, the display went up but the gates were closed to the public because Hyatt said he hadn’t had enough time to prepare.
This time, police aren’t closing the street or trying to shut down the display. The Police Department mounted lighted display boards warning drivers who show up to gawk at the lights not to park on Hiatus Road.
The display shines bright on the front lawn of the Hyatts’ home, with the gates open for the public to walk around.
Some visitors’ expressions on a recent night: “Wow!” “No, you can’t touch that,” parents tell their kids.
“Look at Mommy. Say cheese!”
The “drama is no longer there,” Hyatt says.
But his battle with the city isn’t entirely over, and Hyatt is making it part of his display.
A sign on the site, which reads “Shame on you Mayor of Plantation,” urges residents to call Mayor Diane Veltri Bendekovic to take a lien off his house for a code violation for an illegal Santa’s Workshop.
Her office number is on the sign.