Chevy Chase flipped the switch on Christmas lights just like he did in his fan-favorite 1989 holiday movie (and for a special in Illinois last year), but this time, it was for a very good cause–and went off without a hitch.
Steve Harbaugh of Mullica Hill, New Jersey, has been decorating his home in the style of National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation since 2018, but it wasn’t until this year that the famed actor paid Harbaugh Village a memorable visit and recreated the scene as he turned on the holiday light display.
Given the outstanding length the Harbaugh family went to recreate the fictional holiday house, there was no mistaking who inspired the decorations: Clark Griswald (portrayed by Chase).
“I love all of you. So great that you came out to this, it’s very, very nice of you,” Chase said to the crowd.
“I couldn’t be more surprised if I had my head sewn to the carpet,” the 80-year-old actor joked.
Harbaugh completed the impressive light installation with a custom sign out front, which read “George’s House,” serving as confirmation that any proceeds or toys collected during Sunday’s special event benefitted the nonprofit organization George’s House–which believes every child deserves a present and a home to spend the holidays in–that Harbaugh launched after successfully decorating his own home in Griswald fashion years ago.
“Look at what this has turned into, we started a charity called George’s House,” he told local ABC reporters.
The charity isn’t the only thing benefiting from the extravagant holiday light display, as Harbaugh’s Village has expanded to allow fans of the film to enjoy it at their leisure, even encouraging visitors to dress up as their favorite characters.
“It’s just a fantastic location and people just have a ball when they come here,” Mike Hallahan of Oak Valley, New Jersey, told the outlet.
“We went ice skating for the first time,” Janine Brangan from Deptford, New Jersey added. “We got to see Santa and the Grinch, Olaf, it’s a good event for families.”
According to ABC, the charity raised $350,000 this past year to build George’s House–and as Clark Griswald would say, “This is a full-blown, four-alarm holiday emergency here.”
Next: Chevy Chase and Beverly D’Angelo Share ‘Vacation’ Reunion Selfie
