One year after clashing with city officials over his “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” themed decorations, Jeff Norton‘s house is once again adorned with thousands of lights and props paying homage to the fan-favorite film.
For those of you who don’t know, Norton is a resident of La Mirada, CA who really REALLY loves “Christmas Vacation.” So much so that every year he goes all out on decorating his house as a recreation of the Griswold family home for the holidays. Last year, around 30,000 people stopped by to view the award-winning display, decked out in lights and plastic statues, and even a replica sedan with a papier mache Clark Griswold yelling out the window.
In 2021, he faced some backlash from the city of La Mirada, as he had added a faux second story to his single-story home so it better matched the film. They threatened him with fines for setting the display up without a permit, but backed down when met with community outrage.
This year, he made sure to meet with them ahead of time so that no one had to put up with all that hassle again. “They were worried about things happening at my house and pretty much we’ve got all that ironed out,” Norton said, noting that as long as the city of La Mirada isn’t held liable for any mishaps or issues, they’re fine with the festive display. And that seems fair. A faux second story sounds…dangerous, to say the least. But Norton has taken the necessary precautions and this year’s display is up and running.
Synthetic snow machines create the illusion of a winter wonderland as families enjoy the decorations, complete with Cousin Eddie’s camper, Uncle Louis on the lawn with the burnt out tree and Clark’s boss Frank Shirley — bound and gagged to represent the Griswold family’s first kidnapping.
