Holiday Lights Contest: Editor's Choice in DuPage County
Daniel Wagner is the 2021 Daily Herald Editor's Choice Holiday Lights winner for DuPage County. His home is at 1926 Hampton Drive in Wheaton.
Q: How long have you been decorating your house like this?
A: Christmastime is all about the kids, so having triplets, plus one, it was natural for us to celebrate all of the holidays.
Q: What inspired you to go all out with your decorations?
A: Life gets really busy and decorating acts as a kind of sign post to have us all stop and remember to celebrate the blessings we have.
Q: How many hours does it take to put up the display?
A: 30 hours
Q: How many strings of lights are involved?
A: 18,000 individual lights, 23 separate lighted effects, 22 blowups, 19 lighted ground displays
Q: How much does your electric bill spike in December?
A: Since the vast majority of lights are LED, our electric bill is only $200 more a month.
Q: What do your neighbors think of your display?
A: Our neighborhood has seen more families move in with smaller children. And every time a neighbor thanks us or mentions that our display means so much to their kids, it causes us to go and buy more decorations.