December 13, 2023
Provided Image/Aversa PR
The Uszaki family of Deptford won the latest episode of ABC's 'The Great Christmas Light Fight.' Above, the family poses with their trophy and a giant version of the trophy they installed at their light display.
In the latest episode of the ABC reality competition "The Great Christmas Light Fight," a South Jersey family took the top prize for their nostalgic holiday display.
The Uszaki family of Deptford, Gloucester County, beat three other U.S. families to take home $50,000 during the episode that aired Tuesday, Dec. 12. The Uszakis won the judges over with their "Deptford Dazzling Lights" display that featured an '80s video game theme.
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"Each piece I have designed has a special story," Dan Uszaki, who runs the display with his wife and kids, wrote on Facebook. "Those stories are for me and the stories and memories that you create are for you. The large-scale trophy is for everyone — for my fellow contestants, my family and all of the supporters out there — we are all winners, because we all believe in Santa Claus."
Deptford Dazzling Lights began as a 50,000-light display on the Uszaki family's home. It went viral in 2017 when the lights were synchronized to the Philadelphia Eagles' fight song and has continued to grow ever since.
The Uszaki family's "The Great Christmas Light Fight" appearance was filmed last year, and they used the prize money to relocate their display from Deptford to nearby Washington Township. The new display, called GLOW, is located at 217 Berlin Cross Keys Rd.
A centerpiece of the new attraction is, according to the family, "the largest animated LED snowman in the world," standing at 45 feet tall and 35 feet wide. There also is a 250-foot-long glowing light tunnel guarded by an assortment of nutcrackers and a large replica of the trophy the family won on the ABC show.
Themed displays at GLOW include Jersey Shore, Space, Video Game Blitz, 12 Days of Christmas and Music Lane. GLOW also features the adjacent "Dazzling District," which includes Santa's workshop, a ferris wheel, a train ride, carnival games and food trucks.
The attraction was forced to close on Monday due to a "significant amount of theft and property damage," according to a Facebook post. GLOW was able to reopen Tuesday and Washington Township police are looking into the incident.
GLOW will be open through Sunday, Dec. 31, and tickets to the drive-through display can be purchased online. "The Great Christmas Light Fight" can be watched on ABC or streamed on Hulu.
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