Downtown La Porte Displays Holiday Cheer with Window Decorating Competition

La-Porte-Holiday-Windows-2013-1Downtown La Porte businesses are taking part in the Holiday Window Competition from November 22- December 20. For the whole month, the community is invited to vote on their favorite window display. Businesses that win the most votes will be awarded with special prizes.

“This event is a great opportunity for the businesses to showcase their skills and a friendly competition to take part in. They all have worked hard to create displays for the community to enjoy and the voting is an added way to bring exposure to those hardworking folks,” said Tiffany Bley, Downtown Director of the La Porte Chamber of Commerce.

Paul Fenker, owner of Fenker’s Home Furnishing and Gifts, said, “For 35 years, we have decorated the storefront with the same basic decorations which we feel promote the traditional Christmas spirit amongst the downtown business sector.”

La-Porte-Holiday-Windows-2013-2Fenker’s traditional Christmas decorations included evergreen wreaths and garlands, red ribbons, and white lights. Engstrom Jewelers took a different route with their decorating: Their storefront windows depicted a white winter wonderland. “Last year we won second place,” said the folks at Engstrom’s. “This year we hope to win first.”

Store front decorations could also be seen at Magic Sports, where La Porte high school students had volunteered their time to paint on the store’s windows. The window paint had been donated by Ace Hardware. Tera Evans, store manager, had also brought some “old school” Christmas decorations from her house to liven the interior of the store.

Also participating in the Holiday Window Competition was the Cookery Café on Lincolnway, and plenty of shops on State Street, like Uptown Shoppes and Goosefeather’s. At Goosefeather’s, owner Donna Bosh orders different things to put on her tree every year. Also displayed in the window are her original handmade holiday floral decorations.

La-Porte-Holiday-Windows-2013-3“Everything in the window is on sale for the holiday season. It is a lot of work, but we like to help the community in this way,” said Bosh.

Community members could vote for their favorite window displays on the Downtown La Porte Facebook page by going to ‘Holiday Window Contest Entries’ and liking their favorites. Those with the most like will receive the “People’s Choice Award,” 1st, 2nd and 3rd place based on Facebook likes, submitted forms, and official judging.