Evelyn Quintero is an expert at making and arranging Christmas decorations. In fact, she has such excellent creative skills that she earned the grand prize on ABC’s “Great Christmas Light Fight.”
When Quintero lights up her “Peaceful Meadow,” it’s like seeing a scene straight out of a movie. Atwater, California is Quintero’s home and probably the most festive in the entire state this holiday season.
Quintero’s decorations look so good that people from everywhere want to come over just to see it in person. And we’re sure that if they do, they won’t regret it.
“I think it will put Atwater on the map,” said neighbor Maria Vega of the display.
It took approximately 80,000 lights to complete this luminous display. It also includes elements such as mountains, deer, and a waterfall.
One neighbor described it as a “work of art.” And it truly is.
Quintero put on an amazing show, but he didn’t expect to make it to this show.
“I was in total shock. I just couldn’t believe that they chose me. I’m just a little old great-grandma on a corner here,” she said.
As it turns out, she’s had lots of practice. Quintero and her husband had lived in Vacaville before moving to Atwater four years ago to be closer to their family. Due to their spectacular Christmas displays, they were a local celebrity. This was true even though they moved to Atwater.
Her Christmas displays were the reason she bought the lot next to her Atwater house. She thought it would be great to let people see the decorations from the sidewalk.
“I feel like I’m in a meadow and I feel like I’m out of this world. Like, amazed by these lights,” said a young girl named Kiley Stahlhut.
This display is truly a labor in love as 90% of the pieces are handmade. She creates the ladybugs, ducks, and birds with a 3D pen.
Quintero painstakingly painted all 8,000 flowers in this meadow using icicle light. The beautiful sea of pink that Quintero accumulated over the years is a tribute her daughter, who has since died.
“We had a daughter who passed away several years ago and her favorite color was pink so yes, I do have more pink flowers in memory of her,” Quintero said. It’s her way of keeping Andrea’s memory alive.
She loves seeing how people react to her decorations, especially children. As news of her display quickly spread across the country, two Atwater women brought their friend—who just came all the way from Texas—to visit Quintero’s now-famous house.
“I’m amazed at her skills and her imagination and that she even came up with the concept,” she said.
Quintero wasn’t seeking fame or recognition for this; she just wanted to share her talent and creativity.
“It was like showing your artwork at a New York gallery. That’s what I was thinking,” she said.
Check out the unveiling of Evelyn Quintero’s “Peaceful Meadow” in the video below.
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