A Palmview family fell short of taking the top prize for their grand Christmas display in a light competition against three other Texas families.
The Cantu family closed out their run on ABC’s The Great Christmas Light Fight Thursday night by showcasing their light display that covered their lawn and their home, though they did not take home the $50,000 grand prize.
The family home, located on Breyfogle Road and Expressway 83, is known for its extravagant Christmas display that has become a nearly 30-year-long tradition.
“Twenty-eight years ago, my brother and I were both down here for college and we thought we would surprise our parents by decorating the house,” Linda Cantu said during the broadcast. “And so that’s how our tradition got started.”
The decorations were a surprise for their parents who lived in Illinois at the time and only came down for the holidays.
But the next year, the parents got involved as well.
Roy and Linda’s mother, 75-year-old Chela Cantu, returned to the Valley with an enormous metal frame that she decorated to create a wreath, which is now hung up in the same spot on their balcony every year.
The display also includes a “Christmas Cactus” instead of a manger, a carousel, and snowflakes propped on the roof.
Their philosophy when it comes to decorating is “more is more,” according to Linda’s brother, Roy Cantu, who is a reporter and producer for the city of McAllen.
“We believe in quantity and as many as we can afford on our budget,” he said.
What began as a display of 3,000 lights has now grown to about 75,000 lights, including a sign at the forefront of their lawn that says “Peace on Earth.”
