CT Resident Wins First Place On ‘The Great Christmas Light Fight’

KILLINGLY, CT - A Dayville man's holiday light display took first prize and won $50,000 on Monday's season premiere of the ABC television show, "The Great Christmas Light Fight." The home, located at 8 Pratt Road, features a menagerie of lights, inflatables, glowing signs and more hoped to spread joy to visitors throughout the holidays.

Daniel Amarante, 22, has always had a passion for the holidays, so much so that he asked his father for an inflatable snowman display for Christmas one year. This love of Christmas and decorations played a huge part in getting Amarante's Winter Wonderland started, as well as setting the tone for the display.

"Amarante's Winter Wonderland is a static display," Amarante said on the show. "Everything is on at the same time, and that really gives it a traditional Christmas feel."

Approximately 78 trees encompass the Amarante family's wonderland, each trunk wrapped with a different pattern of Christmas lights. It also features a large number of inflatables, including the aforementioned snowman, and wooden displays.

A big sign of the word "joy" also featured prominently in the episode.

"I wanted [the joy sign] to be a staple for our display," Amarante said. "It's something that this season brings."

Amarante revealed he was inspired to set up his lights by a man in town whom everyone had dubbed "Mr. Christmas" due to his displays.

"After following in his footsteps," Amarante said, "they gave me the title of 'Mr. Christmas Jr.'"

Amarante also credits his father, who passed away unexpectedly in 2012, with playing the most important role in his family's setup, as well as being the reason why they do it.

"He helped kind of nurture that love of Christmas that I had. He was like a perfect role model," Amarante said in tears. "He was my best friend."

The arrival of Taniya Nayak on judging night drew huge cheers from the large crowd who had shown up to support their hometown holiday hero.

"The main reason why we do this is to just pour into the community," Amarante told Nayak. "My father passed away five years ago, and that was the moment where we knew we had to go big. Sometimes Christmas can be such a sad time, losing a loved one or being sick, but this just shines such a light. When you come into this display you feel such joy and peace."

Nayak remarked that she could not believe how big the display was, noting how the street went from pitch dark to "the brightest of bright" after Amarante lit his display.

Nayak was able to tour the display and take in all of its yuletide splendor, including a "mega tree" made from a trampoline and the most important part of all: a memorial garden for Amarante's father.

"We need a special place where we can think of memories," Amarante said, "think of those nice times."

The beautifully decorated garden is centered around a maple tree his father planted 24 years ago. A cane his father had painted and hung in the tree the day before he died is still hanging there today.

Nayak was clearly taken aback by the amount of care and emotion that went into Amarante's holiday labor of love.

"Dan keeps putting these lights up and making it bigger every year in honor of his dad," Nayak said on the show. "You know how proud he must be right now."

After winning, Amarante was asked what he thought his beloved father might say at this moment of victory.

"He'd say 'I'm proud of you, son'," Amarante said, "and he'd give me a big hug,"

The full episode can be viewed at ABC.com.

Photo credit: Amarante's Winter Wonderland Facebook page