Downtown Provo’s fourth annual Holiday Window Competition is in full swing. Community members are encouraged to support their favorite seasonal display until voting closes Dec. 9.
Sponsored by Downtown Provo, the Provo Mayor’s Office and the Daily Herald, the two top-voted businesses will receive a grand prize of $1,000 as well as ad space in the Daily Herald.
Anyone can vote by following the link on the @downtownprovo Instagram account or by using the QR quotes posted along Center Street.
Quinn Peterson, the executive director of Downtown Provo Inc., a business alliance nonprofit in downtown Provo, explained the competition has two main objectives.
“The first reason to do it is just to help downtown as an environment to feel more like a holiday destination,” Peterson said. “The city does a lot to make downtown festive with the Christmas lights in the park and the Christmas wreaths along Center Street and then the county does a lot at the county property.”
The second goal of the competition was to engage as much of the community as possible to come down to vote, Peterson explained.
“We want to encourage students and other residents and anyone that we can to come see the windows, to vote for their favorite, to engage with these shops downtown during the holiday,” Peterson said.
According to Peterson, past years of the competition have received several hundred votes from supporting community members.
Rachel Seibert, a senior at BYU studying geology, enjoyed the displays she saw as she strolled down Center Street.
“I think it’s fun to see towns show a little Christmas spirit and holiday spirit. It just adds to the festivity of the season,” Seibert said.
Megan Smith, store manager of Taylor Maid, loves to see how the other businesses get involved in the holiday spirit through their decorations.
“It’s nice to be able to drive down Center Street and to see how each business is participating and to see their unique influence on their windows for the Christmas season,” Smith said.
As a beauty supply and costume store, the Taylor Maid window display includes holiday costumes available to purchase. A Santa suit, a Mrs. Claus dress and an elf costume can be seen from the street.
“We try and take a timeless … perspective with our window,” Smith said.
Other windows in the downtown area display a variety of holiday-themed decorations, lighting up Provo’s Center Street as people walk by.
