Township council cited the winners of the annual Spooktacular House contest and recognized Tanya Sarpal – who participated in the 2026 United States of America Ms. New Jersey Pageant – at its November meeting.
The decorating contest had four categories: best use of theme, most creative, best classic and mayor’s choice. The Riley family was awarded most creative for its Haunted Mansion Dead and Breakfast. The Lovato family took the best classic category for its Dead By Dawn display. The Cann family’s display, Ozzy’s Boneyard Final Show, won the best use of theme category and the Douma family won mayor’s choice.
“I went on Halloween night to look at the houses,” Councilwoman Fozia Janjua said. “Just seeing the kids being in awe of the decorated houses was pure joy.”
Mayor Nikitas Moustakas read a proclamation commending Sarpal, a Mount Laurel resident, who was first crowned Ms. South Jersey in 2025.
“The USOA (United States of America) pageants are designed to encourage women to strive to achieve their hopes, dreams, goals and aspirations, while making them feel confident inside and out,” Moustakas read. “Their focus is on women empowerment, promoting positive self-image and advocating a platform of community service.”
The 2025 win made Sarpal eligible for the 2026 pageant on Nov. 2, when she was among contestants who participated in five categories: personal interview, swimwear, evening gown, on-stage question and ambassador impact. She walked away a runner-up for Ms. New Jersey and was the people’s choice winner.
As the winner of that award, Sarpal was able to donate to a charity of her choice. She chose the Nimit Foundation, a nonprofit based in South Jersey dedicated to alleviating hunger and food insecurity by providing meals. She will continue to the national pageant in March.
