By Frank Sinatra, AAP Editor

When it comes to Christmas lights, there’s one house in Pennsauken that shines above all others. Literally. During the holidays, the Hak residence on Bryn Mawr Ave. attracts visitors from all over. Now, the “Lights on Bryn Mawr” will gain a national audience with an appearance on the latest episode of “The Great Christmas Light Fight” on 6 ABC airing tonight.

On “The Great Christmas Light Fight,” hosts Carter Oosterhouse and Taniya Nayak judge families’ elaborate Christmas displays across the U.S. The Haks – parents Brian and Jenn, along with daughters Lauren and Katelyn – will be one of three families competing for a $50,000 prize.

“[The show] actually contacted us,” explained Brian. “During the interview process, they said that they have people who look at Instagram and Facebook and different places to find people who have light displays.”

“When I first heard of ‘The Great Christmas Light Fight,’ it was a goal to be on the show,” said Lauren. “So, getting the call was definitely surprising, but also like a dream come true.”

“We grew up watching the show as a family, so it was kind of cool to just know that now we were going to be on it,” added Katelyn.

Tonight’s episode got its start two years ago. The Haks were first contacted in December of 2023 about potentially being on “The Great Christmas Light Fight,” but it wasn’t until September of 2024 that they knew they would be on the show. Filming took place in November of 2024, with the Haks showcasing their “Summer in December” display, their most elaborate yet, featuring 82,000 lights.

“We definitely learned a lot about what it takes behind the scenes to put on a production,” explained Jenn. “We are going to have 10 minutes on the air, and we filmed for two full days.” 

The family’s tradition of going all out for the holidays also took years to become what it is today. An electrical contractor by trade, Brian first rewired an old traffic light controller to work Christmas lights at first home on Cedar Ave. From there, the Haks just kept going for a bigger display. While Brian spearheads the annual effort, his brother, Andy, an electrical engineer, does all the computer programing. They also get a lot of help from additional family and friends.

“It’s a team effort,” explained Brian. “My brothers help, my parents help, my cousins help; nephews, neighbors, everybody. Everyone chips in in some way.”

The Hak’s hold an annual “Flip the Switch” event on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, revealing this year’s design. The light display draws people from all over, some from as far as Texas and Alaska. Streams of vehicles move in and out of the cul-de-sac, along with a lot of pedestrian traffic that walks up and takes pictures. The family leverages that volume each year to collect toys for Toys For Tots. Thanks to the generosity of the community, the Haks were able to donate 30 giant boxes of toys for those less fortunate in 2025.

“On Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, it’s pretty steady,” said Jenn. “Often we wait to get into our driveway.”

“It’s just a great sense of pride and community; it’s a lot of fun to see everyone around enjoy the lights,” added Brian. “I love putting them up because everyone asks me questions about how I get the balls in the trees and thanks me for putting up the lights.

“A lot of people have made it like a tradition now to come to ‘Flip the Switch,’ and people bring their extended families. That’s really cool that we get to foster a tradition. And then giving back to Toys for Tots has been really a rewarding experience.” 

With an established – and growing – tradition of making the holidays bright, as well as national exposure on “The Great Christmas Light Fight,” the Haks aren’t sure what’s they’ll do for next year.

“We don’t know yet,” said Jenn.

“We put it all away you after the new year and we don’t do any anything Christmas-related until about July,” continued Brian. “We have a family meeting and try and think of different themes or ideas to put into the display.”

And while the family’s immediate neighbors have said that there’s no competition to 8220 Bryn Mawr Ave. when it comes to holiday decorations, the Haks have different thoughts.

“It’s not a competition. Just put up whatever lights or anything’s good,” said Brian. “The more the merrier. The more houses that are decorated, I think it’s a lot of fun.” “The Great Christmas Light Fight” featuring the Hak family airs tonight, 9:00 p.m., on 6 ABC and is available to steam on Hulu.