PRINCETON, W.Va. – Watch out for extra sparkle in the storefronts of Princeton, because a festive annual competition is starting up again today.
The annual event called “Make It Sparkle, Princeton!” is a contest for local businesses to decorate their storefronts for the holidays. The top three businesses will be selected by a panel of judges and will take home a cash prize, and there’s a “People’s Choice” category as well.
An organizer for this contest says this has been a growing success in the community and will hopefully continue to get bigger.
“A couple of years ago, we decided to do it just as another way to encourage the Christmas spirit and get into the festive season, and it’s been a hit the last couple of years. The participation has continued to grow and we’re excited for the participation this year. We’ve already had select businesses in town indicate that they were going to participate and decorate their storefront.” says Samuel Lusk, Princeton’s Economic Development Director.
A returning contestant, Myra’s Flower Shop, was the 2023 champion. However, the owner, Myra Dyer, says it’s not about winning for them, but about the joy and holiday spirit their displays can bring to passersby.
“I don’t do it to win a contest. I do it because it’s what I want to do. When I was a little girl, my mom would bring me downtown Princeton to shop. And I remember just going by Murphy’s windows… this is where G. C. Murphy was years ago, and going by the windows and seeing all the toys and the things in the windows, and I would think, ‘Wow,’ you know, and as a little kid, it was just, ‘Wow, that’s so cool.’ And I’ve remembered it all my life,” says Dyer, “I’m 64 and I still remember those days. So I’m just hoping that some little kid walking down the street will get that little glimpse of something and have that memory like I have because it’s a cherished memory of mine.”
Dyer says the time is now to get into the holiday spirit, and she encourages all other Princeton businesses to get involved, adding, “it’s time to sparkle!”
The event will run from November 18 to December 18, and voting for the people’s choice category on the city of Princeton Facebook page will end on November 19 at noon.
To register for this competition or get more information, you can contact Chris Mabe, Marketing & Public Relations Coordinator for the Princeton Economic Development Authority at [email protected] or (304) 920-5796.
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