PECKVILLE -- One family's holiday spirit in Lackawanna County put them in the national spotlight Monday evening.
Two brothers in Peckville competed on ABC's “The Great Christmas Light Fight” show, displaying their decorated homes for a cash prize.
The excitement was clear at a watch party in Peckville as brothers Jeff and Matt Harhut made their debut on national television.
Their homes, decorated to the nines for the holidays, were competing on ABC's “The Great Christmas Light Fight” that aired on WNEP.
“We've always been a coal mining town, and we are going to blow the competition away!” boasted Matt on the show, receiving applause, laughter, and cheers from the crowd watching.
“Oh, this is so exciting. We're here with our family and our friends. What more could we ask for?” asked Jeff.
“We are psyched!” said Matt. “Just waiting to see the final results here. There's some competition out there I'll tell you!”
The brothers have decked their halls in this extravagant way for several years, but this time, ABC came calling.
Season five of “The Great Christmas Light Fight” had the two brothers, who are also next door neighbors, competing against three other neighbors in other parts of the country for a cash prize of $50,000.
People coming out to see the display were so excited for them.
“Very cool. We can't wait for 8 o'clock, right?” said Nicole Helcoski of Jessup.
Despite their best efforts, the brothers did not take home the light fight trophy, losing to a team of neighbors in Virginia.
But the Harhuts aren't letting the loss dampen their holiday spirit.
“We may not have won the trophy, but I tell you what, we won. We were on the show. It was a great opportunity, and we had a wonderful time,” said Matt.
The Harhuts said the decorations will be up until January 7 and say all are welcome to come out and enjoy.
A Luzerne County native was also featured on "The Great Christmas Light Fight."
Mike Richards grew up in Sugarloaf and graduated from Hazleton Area High School. He now lives in Hillsborough County, Florida.
For the past four years, Mike and his neighbor have coordinated their displays. Mike's neighbor prefers the nostalgia of incandescent lights, while Mike prefers the modern look of LED lights.