Off-duty police officers are blocking visitors from viewing a residential Christmas light display.
A homeowner’s light display at 6215 Deloache Avenue in Preston Hollow went viral in 2024, attracting crowds of visitors. Now, some neighbors are complaining and have gotten the police to block the street during weekends ahead of Christmas.
“I am a person that came from nothing, and have home ownership pride for myself and my family,” homeowner Ryan De Vitis, who puts on the display, said to The Dallas Express. “During the holiday season, we’re very religious, so we always celebrate.”
🚨🚨🚨I was just informed that @DallasPD are blocking ALL ACCESS—both vehicle & foot traffic—to Deloache Ave. unless you live on the street.
Christmas Crone @GayDWillis13, the Councilmember repping this district, is actively preventing @cityofdallas residents from visiting the… pic.twitter.com/yHzlDXQWwB
— 𝔻𝕒𝕝𝕝𝕒𝕤 𝔼𝕟 𝔽𝕦𝕖𝕘𝕠 (@dallasenfuego) December 20, 2025
This year, Dallas officials sent a newsletter to residents of Councilwoman Gay Donnell Willis’ district, saying “only residents of the 6200 block of Deloache and those on their guest list will be permitted.”
The Dallas Express obtained a copy of the newsletter, which apparently came from Willis’ office. In the newsletter, it was noted that a private group – Preston Hollow Citizens For A Safer Community – paid to hire four off-duty officers to block off the street between Preston Road and Edgemere Road.
“The neighborhood group obtained a special event permit that allows the group to restrict vehicle and pedestrian traffic on weekend evenings in December due to large crowds,” the notice reads.
The special event permit, also obtained by The Dallas Express, secured closures for a “Deloache Winter Holiday Special Event” on December 5-6, 12-13, 19-20, and 23-25. The document was dated November 26.
“This special event will preserve the peace, joy, and tranquility of the holiday season by temporarily closing the 6000-6399 block of Deloache Avenue to vehicular traffic except for residents,” the permit reads. “This closure will not affect pedestrian access.”
However, local watchdog ‘Dallas En Fuego’ Damien LeVeck told The Dallas Express he observed officers blocking pedestrians.
“They had also closed it off to pedestrian traffic when the permit specifically said otherwise,” LeVeck said. “They’re targeting this person, they’re singling out a tax-paying Dallas resident.”
GRINCH!!! Dallas Councilmember @GayDWillis13 stops VEHICLE & PEDESTRIAN traffic from seeing Christmas lights on Deloache Ave!!!! https://t.co/YcbqumB92i
— 𝔻𝕒𝕝𝕝𝕒𝕤 𝔼𝕟 𝔽𝕦𝕖𝕘𝕠 (@dallasenfuego) December 20, 2025
In a leaked voicemail to the home’s owners, Willis apparently called the display a “tremendous nuisance.” She cited traffic, illegal parking, people running across Preston Road, and alleged code violations.
VOICEMAIL LEAK: Listen to how @gaydwillis13 speaks to a constituent who’s bringing holiday cheer to the city w/ his holiday display.
“I’m prepared to do whatever it is within the power of the city to make sure we bring safety back…”@cityofdallas councilmembers — do you… pic.twitter.com/d8XcAsoChY
— 𝔻𝕒𝕝𝕝𝕒𝕤 𝔼𝕟 𝔽𝕦𝕖𝕘𝕠 (@dallasenfuego) December 20, 2025
“I’m prepared to do whatever it is within the power of the city to make sure that we bring safety back,” Willis reportedly said. “I’m having to ask DPD, our Dallas police, to manage a holiday light situation versus being on the street to take care of criminals.”
The Dallas Express reached out to Dallas police about the display, but a media representative declined to comment – referring inquiries to the city’s Special Events department.
The Dallas Express also reached out to Special Events, but did not hear back.
“Council members are not involved in permit approvals; there is a city department that does that,” Willis told The Dallas Express. “They vet applications through the departments of Transportation & Public Works, Dallas Police Department, and Dallas Fire Rescue, among others, before granting one.”
She also pointed to an accident at the intersection of Preston Road and Deloache Avenue the evening of December 20, which injured an off-duty Dallas officer who was working privately at the time.
“I know that she was taken to the hospital but do not know anything further,” Willis said.
Dallas Code Enforcement has been circulating a survey to collect complaints about celebrations ahead of Christmas, as The Dallas Express reported.
Councilwoman Cara Mendelsohn denounced the survey as an attempt to regulate “free, festive & fun holiday cheer.”
The survey came from the council’s Quality of Life, Arts, and Culture Committee, which inquired about nearby events that could affect neighborhoods, according to Willis.
“The survey is city staff’s response to the request to get input from residents and is not related only to holiday displays,” she said.
‘Your House Is All Over TikTok’
De Vitis said his home has had lights on display every year since 2019 – “This is not a new trend for me.”
But the elaborate display quickly went viral in 2024, with celebrities like “Snoop Dogg” sharing it online.
“My neighbors were super excited. They loved it,” De Vitis said. “I started seeing people out at my gate… I’m like, ‘Hey, you guys need something? What’s going on?’ They were like, ‘No, your house is all over TikTok.’”
At that point, De Vitis said, he quickly learned his house had gone viral.
“It just kept going. At that point, it had turned into such a viral sensation that there was no stopping it,” he said. “My wife and I just decided to make the best of it.”
Families with children often showed up, De Vitis said, so he would pass out toys and gifts. Last year, he said they passed out 175 Barbies – along with toys like G.I. Joes and yo-yos.
“A little kid today came back from last year, and the mom said this is all he wanted to do for Christmas,” De Vitis said. “They’re from Arkansas, and he had the blanket still that I gave him last year. He still uses that blanket every single day because it was freezing cold.”
After last year’s crowds, Willis unsuccessfully pushed an ordinance to crack down on Christmas light displays, as The Dallas Express reported. She called it an “extraordinary neighborhood disruption,” while Councilman Paul Ridley expressed concern officials could become “Grinches.”
People have begun recognizing De Vitis online, he said – and not always in a good way.
“I was in Home Depot, and some lady walked up to me and my children. She goes, ‘You’re the Christmas house. I said, ‘Yes, how are you?’” De Vitis said. “She goes, ‘I’m just hoping you don’t waste our taxpayer dollars again.’”
De Vitis also decorates his house for Halloween. He said the city also tried ticketing him for a code violation at that point, citing documents reviewed by The Dallas Express.
“They’ve been coming out and giving me city code violations on the exact same violations that half of the street has,” he said. “If I’m breaking the law, let me know, but I’m not.”
