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Davis, California

Friday, March 29, 2024

Downtown Davis lights up for the holidays

ALLYSON KO / AGGIE

Sixth annual Window Decorating Contest to begin Nov. 30 with 23 participating shops

Downtown Davis looks forward to hosting its sixth annual Window Decorating Contest, beginning Nov. 30. The competition will last until Dec. 17, and displays will stay up through Christmas Day, giving the community a chance to relish the holiday spirit and enjoy its favorite decorations.

This year, 23 stores will be decorating their windows during the holidays. Stewart Savage, the executive director of Davis Downtown, will designate certain community members to be secret judges, who will meander through the streets and determine the winner.

“One of the things I wanted to do was to add an extra holiday feel to the downtown,” Savage said. “I grew up in a town where during the holidays there would be a lot of decorations outside, and I noticed that people weren’t doing that here. So this is my effort to bring back some of my childhood memories.”

The winning business will be awarded a Davis Downtown gift card, which they can choose to either gift to employees or use as a promotion for their business. Additionally, there will be a People’s Choice Award, which further involves community members by enabling them to vote online. In return for voting online, they will be entered into a drawing for Davis Downtown gift cards.

“I think that the window decorating contest is a great opportunity for the businesses in downtown Davis to show their spirit and it allows the community to be able to get into the holiday spirit,” said Lauren James, the coordinator of ArtAbout. “I think it’s a great way to connect with the community.”

Brett Maresca, the manager of Boheme Clothing, one of the participating stores, explained the contest.

“We like the fact that downtown Davis is putting it on to inspire creativity,” Maresca said. “Everyone really seems to enjoy it, and I think it adds something to the holiday season.”

The contest’s kick-off date, Nov. 30, has been paired with the annual tree lighting that is held downtown, and Savage explained that he hopes people will show up in downtown for the tree lighting and then proceed to shop and admire the decorations.

“With so many wonderful windows, downtown will be a fun, exciting and colorful place to shop for that perfect holiday gift,” Savage said.

 

Written By: Hadya Amin — city@theaggie.org

 

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