A first-ever “Holiday Lights Decorating Contest” will be held in December in in the communities of the West Liberty School District, with Chamber Bucks as the reward to the top displays.
Participants can e-mail their address or message the Chamber on Facebook before Thursday, Dec. 17 to be entered into the free contest. A panel of judges will view the displays Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 18-20, from 7-9 p.m. to decide the winners, which will be announced Monday, Dec. 21.
Stephanie Martin, the Chamber director, said the organization is working hard to “keep West Liberty on the map” and doing whatever it can through a “terrible time” in trying to stay optimistic during the COVID-19 pandemic while getting residents and visitors touring the community in a “safe manner” while working to keep consumers buying locally.
“Families are always looking at holiday lights and we thought, ‘why not here?’” Martin said, encouraging local residents to take part in the decorating.
“The more participants we have, the more it will bring surrounding communities to West Liberty and we hope that while they are here they are stopping for gas, grabbing a bite to eat and stopping in to do some holiday shopping with our Chamber members,” she said.
She said there is always a lot of pride in the three local communities - West Liberty, Nichols and Atalissa and hope residents take the time this holiday season to spruce up their homes to share with others.
“We want them to see what we love and have to offer and remind our local residents what we do offer here and how lucky we are to have the businesses we have,” Martin said.
The Chamber will reward $300 in Chamber Bucks to winners, thanks to a sponsorship by MidwestOne Bank in West Liberty.
The Chamber’s e-mail address is chamber@westlibertyiowa.com