With candy cane colors abound, downtown Chapel Hill stores are decking their windows with holiday cheer for the Holiday Window Display Competition.
The competition, hosted by the Chapel Hill Downtown Partnership, calls for businesses in downtown Chapel Hill to set up a holiday themed window display for a chance to win $400 in advertising to a media source of choice.
While many businesses have set up holiday displays in the past, Bobby Funk, assistant director of the Chapel Hill Downtown Partnership, said this is the first year that a competition has been organized through the Partnership.
“We want to bring out fun displays in downtown to highlight the businesses during the holiday season,” Funk said. “The response has been positive.”
The competition features two prizes, best in show and people’s choice. A panel of judges will decide the best in show winner later this month, but Chapel Hill residents can vote online for the winner of the people’s choice category.
Both categories offer $400 in advertising and a single business can win both categories.
“I think that holiday displays definitely attract customers who might not have otherwise stopped into the store,” said Elizabeth Flake, manager of Underground Printing. “The displays make for a family friendly environment and get people excited to shop in Chapel Hill.”
Underground Printing is one of 10 businesses that have signed up so far, but more are expected to join by the time judging starts, Funk said.
Funk said the Partnership is still hammering out the details, but he expects that voting will become available through Facebook and the Downtown Partnership's website this week.
Christina Prince, an employee at The Bookshop, said the shop has had a holiday display every year but this is the first time they have been involved in a competition.
Prince said free advertising money could really help the store.
“We have recently started pulling ads for budgetary reasons and it would be great if we could get some of that back,” Prince said.
Lindsey Ewing, general manager at Sup-Dogs, said she spent three hours setting up her display Monday morning.
“It would help us a lot to have a $400 prize,” Ewing said. “It could help us expand to other advertising and really boost us out there.”
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