Popular neighborhood light show returns after traffic concerns

Staluppi said he made the decision because he felt bad for families who haven't been able to see the light show and for eager visitors that turned away during the blackout.

He said people came by the droves Sunday night even though the main light show wasn't on.

"We turned it off and thought it would stop people, but it didn't matter; people still backed up all down the street," Staluppi said.

He plans to turn the lights back on Monday at 6:30 p.m., and they'll stay on until 10:30 or 11 p.m.

Staluppi said is asking people to please park at a nearby church or road and walk into the neighborhood.

"Then people can really enjoy it," Staluppi said. "One problem is people stop in front of the homes to video and then the kids get out and that stops traffic on the street."

Staluppi said neighbors were upset over the weekend because after people enjoyed the lights at his home, they would speed down other streets in the neighborhood to get out of the community.

Neighbor Robert Higgins said the event can be bothersome to neighbors because of the long lines of traffic it causes.

"If you don't go out at night, it's fine," Higgins said. "But if you go out, it's hard to get back home because it's just mobbed. It's bumper-to-bumper, and there's no other way to get home."

Staluppi said he is hoping to get a Palm Beach County Sheriff's deputy to work the event and help direct traffic.

Marion Scialla, who lives nearby, said hundreds of cars were backed up on the street Sunday night as people continued to flood the neighborhood.

"People are walking down the streets. They are all the way up and down the whole street," Scialla said. "Some people might think it's a pain, but to me, I don't mind it too much. I see the kids here with their families, and it's so much fun for them."

The light show has become so popular that Coastal Living magazine listed it as one of its top 25 best things to do in Florida during the holidays.