Halloween display paying homage to ‘Stranger Things’ on hold after complaints
PLAINFIELD, Ill. (WLS) - A “Stranger Things”-themed Halloween display in front of a Plainfield home is now closed after a neighbor voiced concerns about it.
Things just got stranger for the suburban Halloween display of the same name after complaints from a lone neighbor forced the creators of the display to close it for now.
“Everyone seemed okay with it until they weren’t,” said Aubrey Appel, the Halloween display creator.
Paying homage to the popular Netflix series, Appel and his family dreamed up the spooky seasonal setup displayed in their front yard.
It replicates a scene from the show and features a life-like mannequin dressed as the character Max Mayfield appearing to hover in mid-air.
“It was just really cool. We saw it on TikTok. We just thought it was so cool, where you couldn’t see like any wires or anything,” Kyle Mitchell said.
The family said video of the display they posted not only got more than 14 million views with everyone wondering what’s keeping Max afloat, but also some unwanted attention from one neighbor, who at first said they were OK with it when the family asked for permission before putting it up.
“It’s upsetting. To be told like … ‘we support you. We’re behind you. We understand why you’re doing this.’ And to have that blow up in your face, it’s …” Appel said.
Possibly angered by the crowds and the popularity of the display, that one neighbor has accused them of bringing negative attention to the neighborhood, endangering the community’s children and making the neighborhood the target of possible home invasions because of all the spectators, the family said.
Other people who live here don’t agree with the complaining neighbor.
“It’s just all families coming out to see the amazing set up,” neighbor Trina Mahon said.
The display remains shuttered for now. The family said they didn’t mean to cause a fuss and were just looking to have fun.
They plan to talk with city officials to figure out what they can do to reopen the display.
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