Popular Christmas Tradition Could End In Fairfield: Report

FAIRFIELD, CT — Neighbors upset over increased traffic from the annual “Wonderland on Roseville” Christmas display are petitioning for the town and the Fairfield Police Department to do something to control it, according to the Connecticut Post. The display, which is set up by the Halliwell family, features more than 300,000 lights and drew 30,000 visitors to 226 Roseville Terrace last year.

Gene Halliwell told the Connecticut Post that this year’s display, the 18th annual, could be the last and they’re “not happy about it.”

The Post reports that a petition with 45 signatures, representing 28 households, has been sent to the first selectman’s office from residents of Roseville Terrace and Sawyer Road for something to be done to control the traffic that the display brings to the neighborhood.

According to a post on the Wonderland at Roseville Facebook page, the annual display begins on Thanksgiving night and continues through the night of Dec. 30. The hours, subject to change, are from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday.

“Please also follow all signs posted while visiting the display,” reads a Nov. 23 Facebook post. “This year, it was decided to continue the single-sided parking on our street, as it helped reduce the traffic last year. We would also ask that you avoid dropping visitors off in the front of our display so we can keep traffic moving unless you are unable to walk. Please be courteous to our neighbours when parking, and do not block their driveways.

“We would like to thank everyone for their cooperation during the wonderful holiday season. We love seeing all the joy our display brings to all of you. You all have made it your family tradition to come see our display each year. We hope that we are able to continue to provide you all with those memories as you help provide the children at The Shriners Children's Hospital the help they need to live a normal life!”

In an update, Nadine Losquadro, the woman who launched the petition, said that while possibly ending the display is the Halliwells’ response to the petition, that wasn’t the intent of the petition, the Fairfield Citizen reports. She said that the display isn’t being protested and the petition is asking for the town to help control parking in the neighborhood to make it safer.

Read more at the Fairfield Citizen here.

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