Earlier this month we shared some photo’s of the Unicorn House, and annual lights display in the Belmont neighborhood of Dayton, on Martel Drive off Patterson and Smithville. Many of you shared comments about your delight in seeing this display. Chris and Natasha Croft started decorating their yard in 2018 and the lighting display has grown each year.
Sadly, the magic of this twinkling unicorns met with some destruction when someone chose to rip one of the unicorns from their yard a little after midnight a couple nights ago. The Croft family posted this on their facebook about the theft: “Unfortunately, the little unicorn that they stole, (Marshmallow) is what the kids had named it, was discontinued in 2021. We work very hard to add a little sparkle to the season, but we cannot promise the display will continue in years to come. It is disheartening for anyone to have something stolen, but particularly something that we love sharing so much.”
They’ve posted a Go Fund Me page stating “we wonder if the time, money, and energy is worth bringing with us into 2024. This is why we are asking our community to offer a few dollars for the display to keep going. It’s not a surprise that Christmas lights have a short shelf life, requiring all new strands each season; or that the unicorns require repair (and replacement if possible) as early as the summer months.