Dayton Unicorn House

The Unicorns of Belmont is both a passion project and a feat of seasonal magic. It takes many days spent in our front yard on Martel Dr. for my husband, Chris Croft, to complete his masterpiece. The sparkling venture from one unicorn to six didn’t happen overnight, in fact, it took years to get us here.

Our display had humble beginnings after being inspired by a trip to Asheville, NC. We happened upon a six-foot unicorn, loving the uncommon sentiment, and the folklore grew. Collecting another, then a few foals…the magic went from a holiday trot to a gallop of a tradition. A beacon to the neighborhood each holiday, it was in 2022 that our yard went dark as we met boxes worth of unusable lights. It was then we understood how much bigger than our front yard the Unicorns of Belmont had become.

We didn’t want to burden our community with the request for help last year. We took the misfortune as a time to reflect and save in order to buy a full yard full of lights this year. We have been met with such kind words, told how missed and loved our lights are. It was with excitement and anticipation that we took the unicorns out of storage this November. The caravans of giggling littles and the smiles far and wide…we couldn’t be more proud of what has been created in our quaint neighborhood...that was until a few days ago, when our security camera picked up one of our own had been taken right before our eyes.

Marshmallow, as one of our young visitors recently named it, was ripped fiercely from its prime photo-op location near the sidewalk. The crime was quick, but not painless. It’s still hard to believe that someone would take such drastic measures.

*It is important to note that Marshmallow is irreplaceable. (The smaller unicorns are currently no longer in production and unavailable to purchase.)

That's all to say, after a long year of planning for 2023, 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.

Your support could help insure that we make 2024 shine just as bright, and maybe, just maybe, give us the means to track down a new Marshmallow. We aren’t expecting much, as even a dollar goes a long way when it comes to magic of the holiday spirit.

Regardless of the crime against our irreplaceable mythical friend, the display is Christmas to the Crofts. We thank you all for caring, your delightful visits and giving us as much joy as we can give to you by way of tiny lights.

We wish you all a Merry Croftmas, and a Happy New Year.