Photo of house with Christmas decorations

Port Colborne, ON (Dec. 23, 2020) – Local homes and businesses added some holiday sparkle to Port Colborne with the City’s Home for the Holidays Decorating Contest and Downtown Business Light Display Contest.

To add a bit of holiday cheer, the City of Port Colborne launched its first ever Christmas Light Display contest, encouraging both residents and local businesses to submit photos of their very best festive decorations. Multiple categories were created, including best balcony/front door display, best light display and best lawn decorations. Based on the number of entries, two new categories were created at the last minute, including “Funniest Decorations” and a combined “Best Lawn and Best Light Display.”

“With the holidays looking different this year, we wanted to bring some festive cheer to Port Colborne residents, in a safe, COVID-friendly way,” said Ashley Grigg, Director of Community and Economic Development. “This was a great opportunity for residents and businesses to show off their decorating skills and add a bit of sparkle to the community. For the first time running this contest, we think it was very successful and appreciate the community’s engagement.” 

With more than 30 entries and 2,600 votes, the results are in! The community has voted, and the winners of the Home for the Holidays Decorating Contest are:

  • Best Balcony/Front Door Display: Michelle Sammut - "The Sammut Family"
  • Best Light Display: - Sarah Laurin & Kerry Hamilton
  • Best Lawn Decorations: Rob & Cherie Buchanan
  • Best Light & Lawn Display: Kissies Place
  • Funniest Decorations: Katherine Kane’s “COVID-19 Tree”

To view the home entries, visit Facebook.

In partnership with the Port Colborne Downtown BIA, businesses had the opportunity to enter the Downtown Business Light Display Contest. The winners are:

  • First Place: The Pie Guys Bakery & Cafe
  • Second Place: Candy Safari
  • Third Place: Bremfield's

To view the business entries, visit Facebook.  

“Thank you to everyone who participated in this contest,” said Mayor Bill Steele. “I loved the creativity and look forward to seeing what people come up with next year. For those looking to get a bit of fresh air and exercise, this is a great opportunity to take an evening stroll and check out some of the beautiful lights all around Port Colborne.”