It was a dream come true for Walter Hazard when he got his chance to compete on the national television show, “The Great Christmas Light Fight.”
However, putting up his red and green lights every year holds a stronger meaning to him as the display is inspired by the people around him.
Although the Hazard’s Gingerbread House has been a fan favorite for the community over the years, their lights have recently gotten a lot of social media attention for its precision.
“This little house in Highlands Ranch that people have grown up with has been seen by millions of people now,” said Hazard.
For over 20 years, Hazard has slowly added more lights to his house.
The evolution
He first started by lining the edges of his roofline with lights when one day, a young girl in the neighborhood told him his house looked like a gingerbread house.
“I didn’t know what I was doing and that’s when it kind of clicked,” said Hazard. “I said, ‘you know what, I’m going to embrace this’.”
In fact, Hazard learned that the technique of outlining the roofline is called gingerbreading.
About seven years ago, another person in the neighborhood suggested that Hazard make giant candy canes for his yard. Hazard said he didn’t know how to make that happen, but the idea came to him in the middle of the night.
Using white PVC pipes, Hazard spray painted red onto them to make them look like a classic candy cane. He then added lights around the candy cans to make them visible, but at the same time made them blend into the candy cane by spray painting them white and red.
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Hazard ended up making 20 candy canes, which line up along either side of his driveway and point towards the house.
“That kind of ratcheted things up,” said Hazard.
In the following years, Hazard decided to make Colorado inspired lollipops. He mirrored the stripes of the candy canes with blue and white stripes and the Colorado sun as the lollipop.
At that time, Hazard had been using wire fencing to put the snowflakes on his roof when he discovered that he could take the wire fencing and make a frame out of it and wire the lights one by one to ensure each light is at the perfect angle.
Painted in red, green and white lights, the colors on the house make Hazard reflect and think of everlasting life.
Five years ago, in the midst of telling his friends and family that it was his goal to be on the only televised Christmas light competition, he made a change to LED lights.
“I use less plugs and electricity and I have 10 times more lights,” said Hazard.
Hazard always had help from his two kids, but as they grew up and moved out, kids from around the neighborhood, like Ryan and Dylan, have helped Hazard for years.
“They brighten my world,” said Hazard.
Despite not being chosen the first time he applied to the show five years ago and the pandemic, Hazard said it was a blessing in disguise because it gave him more time to put more lights on the house and in his yard.
Inspired by his memories of watching the scene from “A Charlie Brown’s Christmas” when Charlie and Linus go to the tree farm, Hazard began building Christmas trees. Like the frames on his house, each strand of light is wired to the perfect angle.
He thought he was only going to make a few trees, but ended up making over 30, adding purple into the mix for his wife.
Not only did he honor his wife in the display, Hazard wanted to pay homage to his friends’ cultural backgrounds, so he made a sign that says “Merry Christmas” in different languages.
Filming “The Great Christmas Light Fight”
In August 2022, Hazard got the call he had been waiting for. He made it onto the show.
On ABC’s “The Great Christmas Light Fight,” families from across the country compete to win $50,000 and a large light trophy.
With plans to film in early November, Hazard had to get approval from the Highlands Ranch Community Association to put his lights up early. He said the association and his neighbors were extremely supportive.
“[The show] is hokey and goofy and our family embraced the goofiness,” said Hazard.
Alongside Hazard were his wife, daughter, son and daughter-in-law all dressed in their gingerbread man onesies and welcomed their judge Carter Oosterhouse as he was about to see their house for the first time.
Hazard was surprised that their judge’s first look was during the filming and not beforehand, which made the moment even more exciting and nerve wracking.
The candy cane lever Oosterhouse used to turn on the light display was constructed with the help of Hazard’s close friend who has experience in robotics.
Oosterhouse was impressed with the meticulousness of the display and blown away by the frames Hazard had made. At the time of filming, Hazard had 312 frames on his house, which is now up to 325.
What wasn’t shown on the episode was how the Hazards were able to use their garage even with frames and Christmas trees on it.
Filming the family interview will always be memorable for Hazard because the weather took a turn and it began to snow.
Hazard said at one point they had to stop the interview as there was a half inch of snow piled on his head.
Although the Hazard family didn’t win the episode, Hazard said the comments they received from production, staff and Oosterhouse was all worth it.
On the episode, Oosterhouse said the family “went to pure artistry.”
“That was the highest compliment,” said Hazard. “It truly was… and that came from him.”
One year later
It was a year ago when the hazard family found out they didn’t win the episode and have had to keep the secret since.
However, their excitement returned when they were surprised by the first promotion for the new season of the show featuring them. Hazard knew they had to share it on their social media, which is run by his daughter who is in marketing.
“It’s like the best moment of my entire life,” said Hazard.
At the beginning of the holiday season, the Hazard Gingerbread House had 3,200 followers. After posting a video of him lighting the house, that number has grown and over 3 million have viewed the video, even people from overseas are commenting on the house.
“It’s just as impressive if you go up 100 yards and look at the house from a distance,” said Hazard. “You can see that the house has so many twinkling, color changing lights, that the house has a pulse to it.”
The Hazard Gingerbread House is located at 10221 Fairgate Way.
Tagged: Highlands Ranch
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