Former Macy's holiday figurines bring Christmas to Plymouth

PLYMOUTH, Minn. (KMSP) - It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas on Juneau Lane in Plymouth.

As the creator of Screamtown, Matt Dunn is usually associated with Halloween, but with a little help from some familiar figurines he's starting a new Christmas tradition.

Next door to Santa's Workshop, there's a Cindarella story made from pieces of the past.

Dunn created a holiday display in front of his house with the iconic princess, Prince Charming and her evil stepmother and stepsisters as a fundraiser for the Wayzata/Plymouth Meals On Wheels.

He says the figurines were used in Macy's holiday displays and he bought them when the downtown store closed earlier this year.

"I used to go see these things with my parents and to see they were going or gone, I said I'd love to keep the magic and stories of these cool creatures alive," Dunn said. "We found some great pictures from the past of what Macy's and Daytons had done so the walls are similar to what they had done. So we actually kept some of the original artwork in our versions."

For generations of Minnesotans, the displays in Dayton's windows and eighth floor auditorium were Christmas institutions, drawing large crowds to downtown Minneapolis where shoppers marveled at the fairytale fantasies and winter wonderlands.

"I think it's all about memories," Dunn said. "People slow down and stop. I can hear them and they say, 'I remember that' or, 'Remember when we saw that?'"

Dunn ended up buying 14 figurines from Macy's and he hopes to expand his display every year, making a trip down memory lane into a new holiday tradition.

"I love doing this because it's a pleasure for people to come celebrate the season. It's a fun way to bring back some happy memories," Dunn said.