The Parks Main Street Holiday Lights is part of a broader, citywide DC Holiday Lights effort encouraging residents and visitors to shop small and explore the District this holiday season.

DC Holiday Lights takes place from November 17 through January 7, and is organized by District Bridges.

The goal of DC Holiday Lights is to attract residents and visitors from across the District to your corridor. We want to drive foot traffic, and also encourage shoppers to enter businesses they haven't explored before. It is an opportunity to form new connections and meet new potential customers!

As a business on a participating Main Street, you are invited

to participate in Holiday Lights by decorating your storefront.

Overview

We will be heavily promoting The Parks Main Street Holiday Lights as part of DC Holiday Lights in the news, online, and across DC to attract residents & visitors to explore and shop on your Main Street. We will also specifically promote your business during this timeframe.

WHEN:

This year, Holiday Lights begins November 17, 2023 and ends January 7, 2024. Your decorations and lights MUST be up by November 17 at 5pm and remain on display through January 7.

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO:

• Hang up the Holiday Lights poster in your storefront window or inside your business.
  

• Make sure your decorations and lights are ready by November 17 at 5pm.
  

• Make sure your lights are on every night. Strive to keep lights on until at least 11pm. You can use a timer to turn your lights off automatically at 11pm. If you are using LED lights, you should not see any real increase in your electricity bill.

• If you are participating in the citywide Scavenger Hunt, put your secret code card at your point of sale by November 24 (click here for more details on the Scavenger Hunt).

• Encourage customers to vote for your holiday display!

DECORATING CONTEST DETAILS:

• Judges and public participants will vote for their favorite holiday light displays in 8 categories (click here for more details)
  

• Winning businesses will be heavily promoted online via paid ads and to the media!
  

#1:

Register to participate by November 10

#2:

Put up your decorations by November 17 when voting begins.

(We have volunteers who can help you decorate!)

Encourage your customers to come out to view your holiday display and to vote for you

in the contest.

#3:

Visit the website to learn more. For more information, contact Teresa at 202-450-4409.

Key Dates

Deadline To Register Your Business

In order to participate and receive free publicity, you must register your business. Registration is FREE.

Lights On! DC Holiday Lights Begins

Your decorations must be up and your lights turned on by 5pm.

Nov. 17 - Dec 10.

Judging & Public Voting

Citywide Scavenger Hunt Launches

If your business wants to be part of the scavenger hunt, place your Secret Code Card somewhere inside your business by this date!

Judging for the decorating contest takes place between November 17 and December 10. During this time, the public also votes for the People's Choice Award.

Judging & Public Voting Ends

This is the last day for the decorating contest judging & public voting.

DC Holiday Lights Award Ceremony

Dec. 13 - Jan 7.

Promotion of Winners

The winners will be revealed.

During this time, the winning businesses will be heavily advertised on Facebook and Instagram (with paid advertising, provided for free to the winners!) and promoted to local media.

Last Day of DC Holiday Lights

After today, you may take down your decorations.

Decorating Contest

AWARD CATEGORIES

The public will determine the People’s Choice Award by voting for their favorite between 11/17/23-12/10/23. A panel of independent judges will select winners for the remaining award categories.

Encourage your customers to vote for you using the marketing materials found here.

1. Most Neighborhood Spirit (capture the spirit of what makes your neighborhood unique)
   
2. Most Creative Use of Lights
   
3. Most Colorful Display
   
4. Best Window Display
   
5. Best Use of Merchandise (feature your amazing products)
   
6. Overall Best of Show (judges’ choice)
   
7. People’s Choice Awards (based on public voting)
   
8. Best Corporate Display
   

Categories 1-7 are open only to locally-owned businesses. Corporate chains are eligible for category #8, Best Corporate Display.

WHAT DO WINNERS RECEIVE?

All awards will be announced at the Holiday Lights Award Ceremony. Each winner will be extensively promoted in the media, on local listservs, and through paid advertisements on Facebook with messaging to encourage residents and visitors to visit the winning businesses to see their displays. All winners will receive a certificate.

About The Scavenger Hunt

HERE'S HOW IT WORKS:

Participants earn entries for each participating commercial corridor they visit between November 24 and January 7, as well as by completing other scavenger hunt tasks such as visiting murals around DC. New this year, participants can also earn additional entries for finding unique codes at participating businesses across DC.

The more entries a person earns, the more likely they are to win great prizes from local businesses all across the District!

Your business will receives a 3.5x4 card with a unique code on it (example on the right). Here's how it works:

• Tape the card down at your point of sale. Do NOT put it in your window.
  
• Scavenger Hunt participants earn a bonus entry for every business they visit (and code they enter) during the Scavenger Hunt.
  

The main goal is to get residents across DC to step foot into businesses they may not have entered before – so they can see how great your business is and come back when they are ready for your products or services.

Decorating Ideas

Looking for an easy way to decorate? New this year, to make decorating easier, we also have unique decals for purchase. These decals are super easy to apply (they take less than five minutes), easy to reposition, and can be applied to any glass, smooth plastic, or metal surface. Click here to learn more and order.

IDEA #1: Make Use Of Your Windows

Not on the ground floor? No problem! Neither was Second Story Boutique. Their decor drew attention & raised visibility for their store.

Headfirst Summer Camps is another great example of an upper story business participating – look at that awesome shooting star!

Even just outlining the windows with lights makes a huge difference!

IDEA #2: Make Use Of Your Overhang

IDEA #3: Decorate Your Outdoor Dining Area

Outdoor dining areas are easy to decorate & it makes a HUGE difference!

IDEA #4: Decorate Your Outdoor Plants

Is there a tree outside of your business? How about a bush? Wrapping some lights on a tree or a bush helps your business sparkle! For bushes, we recommend buying net lights (~$15-$20) because they make decorating very easier.

IDEA #5: Go Big If You Have Extra Space

Have extra space outside of your business? Lucky duck – now you can really get creative!

Pho Viet (3513 14th St. NW) went big – and won Best In Show!

Holiday Marketing Ideas

Holiday events, specials, and promotions help drive traffic and sales for your business.

Please email your Main Street Manager with the details of any holiday-related events, specials, or promotions you are having. We will add them to the Holiday Lights website, add them to the DC Holiday Lights Event Calendar, and help promote them for you.

Host A Holiday book reading

Host a storytime for children or a book reading for adults. You can invite a local author or read the book yourself!

Organize a Children's Craft or Coloring activity

Attract families to your business by holding a children's holiday-themed craft or coloring activity. 

Display holiday-themed art

Dress up your store and support local artists by displaying holiday-themed art at your location.

Provide free hot cocoa

Handing out hot chocolate can be a great way to spread some cheer and attract people to your business as they walk by.

Provide A discount to ANYONE wearing holiday attire

Offer discount days where anyone who comes in wearing holiday-themed attire receives a small discount on your product or services. Make sure to ask them for a photo so you can share it on your social media!

DECORATE COOKIES

Organize a cookie decorating activity—you can even turn it into a contest by posting photos of each cookie online and asking your audience to vote for their favorite one.

HOLD AN ugly sweater contest

Ugly sweaters are all the rage during the holidays. Have a fun contest in your store and reward the customer with the ugliest sweater. 

Create an in-store photo opportunity

Create a holiday-themed photo opportunity where people can take a photo or a selfie. You can create a unique backdrop on the wall or set up a small area for photos. This helps spread your business across social media as people share their photos online. Don't forget to ask them if you can take their photo, too, to post on social media.

Photo Credit: StudioDIY.com

Photo Credit: StudioDIY.com

ORGANIZE A CHARITY DRIVE

'Tis the season for giving! Consumers are often looking for a way to give back to their communities during the holidays. You can pick a local charity and organize a charity drive at your location—such as a clothing or gift drive. Community members will drop off their donations at your location, which helps bring additional traffic to your business.

FEATURE PRODUCTS OR SERVICES RELEVANT TO HOLIDAY SHOPPERS

Feature products and/or services relevant to holiday shoppers, diners, and party-goers—such as toys, party clothes, event spaces, special menus/cocktails (with holiday-themed names), and holiday hairstyles. Take photos of the products or services you have to offer this holiday season, and post the photos on your social media channels to get the word out.

Why Participate?

Be Part of DC's Largest Citywide Holiday Celebration

This unique holiday experience incentivizes residents and visitors to visit multiple commercial corridors across the District, providing much-needed foot traffic for small businesses like yours!

Participants In The Citywide Scavenger Hunt

The Citywide Scavenger Hunt inspires people to explore DC and complete tasks for a chance to win great prizes from local businesses. These have generated 1,470 actions in support of small businesses, and brought in visitors from Maryland and Virginia!

PARTICIPATING BENEFITS YOUR BUSINESS!

The holiday shopping season gives small business owners a chance to band together to more effectively compete with national chains and big-box stores. Here are 3 great reasons to participate in Holiday Lights:

#1

Free Advertising: Your business will receive a lot of free advertising for participating! You will be included in press materials sent to print, online and broadcast media outlets across the District. The event website will list your business with your address and any holiday promotional activities offered during the month of December. Additionally, we will provide frequent shoutouts on social media. Plus, your business can be part of the citywide Scavenger Hunt, which encourages potential customers to drop by your business to locate a secret code!

#2

Attract New Customers: At least one-third of consumers have chosen not to enter a business because it “didn’t look like a place I would normally shop.” You need to get them in the door so that they see that your business is a place for them! Consumers are more likely to frequent your business if they know who you are and trust you. Being seen as active in the community builds that trust.

#3

Increase Customer Loyalty & Sales: Research shows that shoppers prefer to patronize businesses that are involved in their communities. BONUS: When businesses are involved with the community, customers are willing to pay slightly higher prices to buy from them. As a retailer with strong community ties, you can increase your prices and profits without driving customers away.