Decorate your home for the Merry & Bright Holiday Home Challenge and Tour of Lights
COOKEVILLE – Some go big with colorful, twinkling lights. Others prefer a traditional approach – elegant wreaths, garland or wise men and a manger. Then there are those who go over the top with fun inflatables and whimsical, animated gadgets.
There’s no wrong way to do exterior holiday home decorating.
Those who are passionate about it have an opportunity to win $100 and have their homes included in a Cookeville Christmas Tour of Lights through the second annual Merry and Bright Holiday Home Challenge presented by Cookeville Leisure Services and the Upper Cumberland Association of REALTORS.
“We hope residents are as pleased and excited to enter their homes in this contest as we are to present it,” Mildred Garrett, Leisure Services programmer, said. “We would love for you to add your creations to our tour to create a bright and cheerful wonderland for the holidays.”
The contest is open to Putnam County residents within a 10-mile radius of the Cookeville Courthouse Square. Categories include Most Colorful, Most Traditional and Most Animated. Participants may enter multiple categories but are eligible to win in only one. The fee is $10 per entry.
Registration deadline is Nov. 26. Forms are available at the Leisure Services office at Cookeville City Hall, 45 E. Broad St., and UCAR, 1330 Neal St. Registration may also be completed at www.cookeville-tn.gov/ls.
Judging will take place Nov. 30-Dec. 2 from 5-10 p.m.
UCAR will be awarding $500 in prize money – $100 for first place and $50 for second place in each category. These winners will be announced Dec. 3.
In addition, a $50 People’s Choice prize will be awarded in a social media contest consisting of holiday home photos to be taken by contest judges during the judging period and posted on the Cookeville Leisure Services Department Facebook page Dec. 5. The photo with the most “likes” by noon Dec. 10 wins. All contest participants are eligible for this prize, including winners in the Most Colorful, Most Traditional and Most Animated categories.
Addresses of all participants will be part of a publicized Cookeville Christmas Tour of Lights.
“We encourage everyone to enter and then get out and see the decorations with family and friends,” Libby Capps of American Way Real Estate, one of the contest organizers, said.
For more information about the contest, call Leisure Services at 931-520-4386 or UCAR at 931-528-4093.