Two festive spectacles in Dallas-Fort Worth will vie for holiday light glory on ABC's hit reality competition The Great Christmas Light Fight on Thursday, December 5.

The Hughes family of Rockwall will appear on the season 12 premiere at 7 pm, and the Joules-Cornetti family of McKinney will be featured on episode 2, at 8 pm. (They will not be competing against each other.) The show will air locally on WFAA/Channel 8, and will be available on Hulu the following day.

On The Great Christmas Light Fight, four families around the country show off their lights extravaganzas for hosts Carter Oosterhouse and Taniya Nayak, and the victor is awarded a trophy, $50,000, and over-the-rooftop bragging rights.

Both DFW families host "extreme" light displays at their homes, which the public can visit throughout the holidays. Both have heartwarming stories that will be told on the show, and both benefit local charities. Here's a closer look at the two Christmas light extravaganzas that'll compete in the national spotlight, and how to see them in person.

Hughes family of Rockwall - 'Stay in the Light'
Brenda and David Hughes' display at their home in Rockwallfeatures more than 150,000 lights on every groundcover and all over their house. What really sets it apart, says Brenda Hughes, is a larger-than-life “Candy Land.” Inside the magical candy store are candy canes, cupcakes, elves, gingerbread people, a hot air balloon, and more. Towering over it all are two majestic oak trees in the front yard, each lit up with more than 15,000 twinkling lights.

Host Carter Oosterhouse checks out Candy Land with Brenda and David Hughes. Photo courtesy of ABC

But behind the sparkle and shine of the Hughes’ happy holiday display are memories of darker days for the family. The Hugheses call their annual display “Stay in the Light” in honor of Brenda’s son Nathaniel, who, in 2019, “passed away suddenly and tragically after a battle with depression,” his mother says tenderly. He was 29.

They use their display to fundraise for Meals on Wheels of Rockwall County and have pledged $50,000 toward the building of a community center over five years.

“It gives me a purpose now instead of staying in a dark place; I’m now able to bring my darkness into the light,” Brenda says.

See it in person: The Hughes' “Stay in the Light” display is at 1655 Plummer Dr., Rockwall, in The Shores subdivision. It runs nightly 6-10 pm, December 1-25, 2024. Read more about the Hugheses, including behind-the-scenes details of their filming of The Great Christmas Light Fight,in this story.

Joules-Cornetti family of McKinney - 'The Gift of Light'
Dr. Nasheel Joules and her husband, Mark Cornetti, put up a holiday lights display at their McKinney home that's so big and bright, it can be seen from an airplane.

“Our Christmas lights are not done to be the biggest and the best,” Nasheel says humbly. “Our display is done, with love, to show the community the love of God and to inspire people to be joyful and have hope even when life is difficult.”

Nasheel and Mark, for whom life has been exceedingly difficult the past few years, call their display “The Gift of Light” and use it to fundraise for the American Heart Association. This year, their goal is to raise $10,000 for AHA.

Nasheel, a 45-year-old internal medicine physician, suffers from congestive heart failure, as well as a rare autoinflammatory disorder called CAPS disease.

Mark and Nasheel talk about their lights display with host Taniya Nayak. Photo courtesy of ABC

“For those who are saddened during the holidays because of tragedy or loss, we hope our display brings back hope and joy and the spirit of Christmas,” they say.

Their extravaganza, which covers the entire multistory house and surrounding lawns, has a little bit of everything - inflatables, wireframe items, yard art, and dazzling lights, all grouped by sections.

The “elegant” section is a subdued, serene section that gives people a chance to reflect on the season; a “fun” section has inflatables, reindeer, Santa Clauses, penguins, polar bears, some Disney characters, and new this year: a Buc-ee’s inflatable mascot. A "nativities" section has manger scenes, crosses, and a place for visitors to write their prayer requests; Mark and Nasheel say they go through them and pray for them every night.

See it in person: “The Gift of Light” display is at 8624 Palermo Way, McKinney. It runs nightly 5-11 pm, November 28-January 1; follow their Facebook page for updates and information on donating to The American Heart Association. To read a full story about their display and their experience filming The Great Christmas Light Fight, go here.

  

Photo courtesy of ABC

The Joules-Cornetti family's Christmas light display in McKinney is so big and bright, it can be seen from an airplane.

For a list of the most spectacular Christmas lights around Fort Worth, visit this story.