Forrest “Frosty” Nunley spent three decades turning his Avenues home into a sprawling Christmas spectacle, and on Saturday, fans lined up by about 8:30 a.m. for a final chance to take a piece of it home. Nearly all of the decorations at 805 E. 18th Ave. were gone within minutes of the sale opening, closing the book on one of Salt Lake City's most recognizable holiday traditions.
For three decades, Nunley turned his home into what he called Frosty's Winter Wonderland, according to FOX 13 News Utah. The display, which was popular enough to appear by name on Google Maps, had become a destination for visitors who came to see vintage lights, blow molds and holiday characters crowding the property. People began lining up down the street by about 8:30 a.m. ahead of the sale, Nunley said, with the event opening at 9:45 a.m.
The idea for the display started small. Nunley and his wife realized they had extra decorations from their first Christmas tree and set them up outside, a modest gesture that grew into an obsession, per the same account. Nunley went on to add new pieces nearly every season, scouring thrift stores, yard sales and secondhand shops for vintage blow molds until his collection swelled into the hundreds.
A Collection Three Decades in the Making
Just how many pieces Nunley amassed depends on which year you ask. The Salt Lake Tribune reported his 320-mold collection spans decades, while a 2024 Deseret News photo gallery described the display as including more than 330 blow molds, or illuminated figures. Either way, the decorations took over every inch of his property, from the roof to the front yard, and thousands of additional Christmas items filled out the scene each winter.
Keeping that much holiday cheer running required serious logistics. The Tribune reported that Nunley hired a three-person crew each November to help get everything up, and setup still took over a month, according to the station's earlier coverage of the display. During the off-season, the entire collection sat in four sheds at Nunley's home, waiting for the next round of lights to go up.
Why the Lights Are Going Dark
Nunley had signaled for a while that the end was coming. In December 2025, he hinted to the Tribune that he was thinking of retiring soon, citing both the effort involved and complaints about neighborhood traffic. He said at the time that he'd kept it going all those years to make people happy, giving families a chance to enjoy time together.
This year, FOX 13 reports Nunley retired the display. He had previously said that setting up and sharing the display helped comfort him through his battle with Parkinson's.
Fans Carry Pieces of History Home
Buyers could take home a piece of history.
Other shoppers also bought decorations at the sale.
Nick Wiggill picked up a vintage Santa face. As the crowd thinned and the yard emptied out, the mix of longtime fans and newcomers underscored just how far Frosty's Winter Wonderland had reached across Salt Lake City over 30 years, even as its final chapter closed on 18th Avenue.
