How much it costs to decorate big for Christmas in the US

How much it costs to decorate big for Christmas in the US Courtesy of Melissa Bessler In Illinois, decorating for the Bessler/Esposito family begins the day after Halloween Some Americans go all in on their holiday decorations, investing thousands in lights, displays and more. It's a tradition 27 years in the making, and it's here to stay: "Because Lucy and I get to do it together," says Maynard. Courtesy of Dominic Kowalczyk Dominic Kowalczyk's Christmas display takes nearly 80 people to execute Dominic Kowalczyk, 40: $200,000 Chicago area residents might recognize Dominic Kowalczyk from his 2013 appearance in The Great Christmas Light Fight, a US program featuring over-the-top holiday decorators competing for a cash prize. His display features a staggering 300,000 lights, 400 holiday figurines and, new this year, a 17-foot LED screen featuring clips from classic holiday films Christmas, spliced alongside drone footage of Kowalczyk's decorations. "My mother, Nelly, started it in 1973," says Garabedian, noting that a private family event prompted his mother's original burst of holiday cheer.