Arrg You Ready? NY Family Competes for Best Halloween Display on National TV

Ahoy Mateys! A Disney-quality pirate town landed one New York family on "The Great Halloween Fright Fight." Was the display good enough to win?

The ABC show features families and their eye-popping Halloween displays who compete to win a $50,000 prize and the coveted Fright Fight trophy.

Tony DeMatteo started by building half a pirate ship on his front lawn in Rochester, New York for Halloween. The next year it was a 60-foot ship. Then it was 2 ships. With no idea how to top that, DeMatteo found himself with a full pirate town called Port Royal that rivaled anything you'd see at Disney.

Countless Hours

The father of three spends countless hours every Halloween season building the epic 100-foot movie-quality display that includes a pirate ship, trading store, gold reserve, and Fort Charles to protect the town from pirates who steal the gold.

The music, effects, and synced light show, bring it to a whole new rock concert level.

Final Year

2023 was the final year for Halloween on Ambush Lane. The display drew thousands of people every day, and it just got too big for the neighborhood.

How do you wrap up years of hard work? On national television. DeMatteo's elaborate display was featured on season 2 of The Great Halloween Fright Fight.

That hard work paid off too. Halloween on Ambush was crowned the winner and DeMatteo was given the Fright Fight Trophy along with the $50,000 grand prize. Once he pays off this year's display he plans to donate some to local charities and then go on a much-needed and well-deserved vacation.

We are so incredibly thankful and honored to be recognized among the great haunts in the country. There is so much talent out there. Everyone deserves a round of applause.

Halloween on Etsy

DeMatteo may be retiring his elaborate Halloween display but he's still making all the pieces so you can put together your own seasonal celebration. Check out all his creations on Etsy.