Businesses in Hamilton are being urged to get in the festive mood and start planning their displays for the City Christmas Window Decorating Contest.

“The Christmas season is a time of joy, generosity and celebration,” the City’s marketing co-ordinator, Sideya Dill, said.

“It offers the perfect opportunity for City businesses to create a vibrant and engaging environment for their customers by adorning their windows with captivating displays reflective of that festive spirit.

“Our contest aims to add some extra holiday cheer around Hamilton’s streets and entice residents to shop locally this Christmas, thus supporting Hamilton businesses.

“The window size doesn’t matter; the most beautiful display may be in the smallest of windows. We’ve held this holiday contest for several years and each year Hamilton’s stores give us something different. No two windows are ever the same.

“We’ve always been so encouraged by the creativity and ingenuity of our window display entries and it is exciting to see the final product.”

There are two categories: Best Christmas Window 2023, selected by a panel of industry-relevant judges, and People’s Choice Window, which is selected by the general public through a City-hosted voting process.

Each participating business can enter only one window in the contest and must display the window decorating participation notice issued by the City of Hamilton in their window before the opening of voting.

Businesses must be located within City limits to be eligible for entry and the window decorating must be completed by Tuesday, November 28 at 5pm and remain in place until Friday, December 15.

Voting and judging will take place between Friday, December 1 and Thursday, December 14, with the winners announced on Friday, December 15.

To apply to enter, click here. All applications must be in by Monday, November 6 at 5pm.