Disclosure: This post is part of my all expense paid trip to Los Angeles, CA provided by Disney, in exchange for coverage. However, opinions are 100% mine.
ABC 25 Days of Christmas event! As part of our Mary Poppins Returns world premiere press trip in Los Angeles, was another amazing event! Disney, Freeform and ABC 25 Days of Christmas event at ABC/Freeform television studios. Reading about it on my itinerary was not what I expected….it exceeded my expectations! What a marvelous event! All I can think about was the holiday food, decorations the lights and family gatherings! Christmas has arrived!
The Great American Baking Show: Holiday Edition
Based on the hit series The Great British Bake Off, it showcases bakers from around the United States. The Great American Baking Show: Holiday Edition brings out their best recipes as they compete in holiday-themed challenges, all hoping to be named America’s Best Amateur Baker.
We had the opportunity to chat and interview, three-time James Beard Award-winning pastry chef Sherry Yard “The Great American Baking Show: Holiday Edition” and Carter Oosterhouse, judge and host on “The Great Christmas Light Fight.”
Carter Oosterhouse and Sherry Yard sat with us and shared with us their Holidays stories, traditions and so much more. Sherry gifted us some delicious candy bars and shared what she prepares for her family during the holidays: croquembouches which are cream puffs dipped in caramel. Are you drooling yet? She also shared a story of a celebrity’s wedding cake you created.
Carter: This year’s Christmas Light Fight was simply incredible to film. “One place has 4 million lights – just to see that, when those lights went on, it was the craziest thing. My brain had to adjust just to know what I was looking at,” he said. For Carter, it’s also a great reminder of how uplifting this time of year can be.
“People are doing it from 5 to 35 years, and they do it year after year because their community – there are so many memories that they’re creating – not only the memories that they’ve had themselves but the memories that they’re creating now with these families and these kids in their community. And that is such a beautiful thing to see because that is what Christmas is all about,” explained Carter Oosterhouse”.
If you’re thinking of going on his show, we found out what will help you win The Great Christmas Light Fight. “I look for balance in lighting, I look for creativity, I look for uniqueness and shared experiences,” he shared. “I like stuff that is completely different that you wouldn’t expect in Christmas.”

Photo credit: Disney
Sherry: Food for me also improves any celebration. Baking always brings me special memories, especially with my grandma. During our visit to ABC studios, three-time James Beard Award-winning pastry chef and The Great American Baking Show judge Sherry Yard, also sat down to chat a bit about her show’s special holiday edition. “I always say my best recipe is memories. Because you make a wedding cake, you make a birthday cake, you make cupcakes, whatever it is that you’re making, it’s a memory that will always be in someone’s mind,” said Sherry.
The Great Christmas Light Fight
It showcases the wildest and most spectacular Christmas displays in America. In each one-hour episode, four families from all around the country decorate their homes to the extreme in the hopes of winning the coveted Light Fight trophy and a $50,000 prize, with a total of $300,000 given away for the season. As the temperature cools down, the competition heats up when families invite us from out of the snow inside their homes to witness their fanatic Christmas décor for the very first time. In addition to all of the stunning inside/outside displays, the first ever “Heavyweights” episode will showcase light shows that have grown too large for any home.

Photo Credit: ABC/Byron Cohen

Photo credit: Disney
Toys for Tots
This holiday season, Disney|ABC Television are teaming up with Disney store, ShopDisney.com, and Toys for Tots. Fans and families can celebrate 25 Days of Christmas by dropping off a new, unwrapped toy at a U.S. Disney store or on shopDisney.com until December 15th and Disney store will contribute $5 per toy to Toys for Tots, up to $1 Million! For more information on Toys for Tots, go to ToysForTots.org. To watch your favorite holiday content go to 25DaysOfChristmas.com.
Post a selfie with your toy on social media using the hashtag #25DaysOfChristmas.