Mattas capture first place in EF area decorating contest

By Christine Haines

chaines@yourmvi.com

When Dave and Pam Matta bought their house in Boston in 1989, they started a tradition of decorating for Christmas. 

Their 31-year custom took first place in this year’s new tradition in the Elizabeth Forward area, a community Christmas lights contest.

What started as lights on a few shrubs outside the house at 6122 Roslyn St. has turned into a Christmas decorating wonderland with 15 trees inside and an outdoor display that includes nine huge trees adorned with lights. 

“Kids used to play ball in our yard because it was like playing under the lights,” Dave Matta said. “I kind of knew I went overboard when our dentist said you could see our house from Center Street in Versailles Borough across the river.”

Matta said the early snow this year added just that much more sparkle to the display.

“Twenty-five years ago, we went to see the holiday lights at the Pittsburgh Zoo and they wrapped the trees and I thought ‘I could do that,’” Matta said.

The first year he just wrapped one tree, but then the others looked dark, so he added another and another until all nine trees were wrapped.

“We just started adding more trees and more trees and now we have a canopy of light about 40 feet high,” Matta said.

The display of approximately 30,000 lights has drawn attention. One woman on Facebook said anytime they are nearby, her son makes her detour past the Matta house because it’s so beautiful. It’s drawn the attention of others over the years as well.

“About 18 years ago, my mother-in-law was in a nursing home in Elizabeth and we started getting calls asking if the lights were up yet because they wanted to bring the residents by,” Matta said.

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