The deadline to register has been set for the City of Folsom’s 2024 Holiday Lighting Contest presented together with Folsom Times. The annual citywide contest garnered a record high 51 entries last year and 2024 should be another great season of holiday spirited fun and friendly competition.
This marks the fourth year the City of Folsom has organized a community contest of this type. It also marks the first year the event has partnered with Folsom Times, which together with the local business community, will be bringing an estimated $4000 in community prize packages for the different category winners.
The annual City of Folsom Holiday Lighting Contest first began after Folsom City council member YK Chalamcherla presented the idea just before the holiday season in 2020. What started as a fast paced contest in the heart of the pandemic is now an annual event for years to come, with residents and local businesses all coming together to celebrate the spirit of the holidays with some friendly, festive competition.
Folsom’s City Council will be hitting the streets over several nights in the weeks following the registration deadline of Dec. 13 to view and judge the many entries. Winners will be announced at www.folsomtimes.com as well as across the City of Folsom’s sites and newsletters.
From fine dining to bowling, shopping, gardening, health and beauty services and more, a menagerie of “prize packs” for the various winners of this year’s contest have been assembled for the various winners of this fun and spirited holiday contest that is welcoming free entries from residents and business owners that are ready to light up their city this holiday season. Altogether, Folsom Times will present over $4000 in prizes will be awarded in this year’s contest.
“The City of Folsom has done an amazing job growing this event since 2020 and invited us to be a part of it last year, we wanted to make it even better by partnering with them and adding a collection of valued prizes not only from us but from many businesses across the community,” said Bill Sullivan, co-founder/publisher of Folsom Times. “Our business community is amazing here in Folsom, so many business owners were eager to join us in this project last year and many are returning this year along with new participants to make Folsom brighter this holiday season.”
The contest categories for 2024 are as follows:
- Holly Jolly Residence – Best overall residence. A total of 21 residents have entered this category for 2023
- Clark Griswold – Best use of holiday lights (residential). A total of 18 different residents have entered this category for this year.
- Hollywood Christmas – Best use of theme and/or fictional characters (residential). A total of five homes have entered this category.
- Illuminate the Block – Best multi-house display. A total of five entries make up this category this year, one of the largest in three years.
- Merry and Bright Business – Festive commercial business display across the city (includes window painting).
The prizes detailed:
All winners will receive a sign announcing their achievement from the City of Folsom. Folsom Times will be presenting a collection of community cheer packages containing a variety of gifts from the many collaborating businesses, a final list of all of which will be detailed here by November 28. Winners will also be recognized at a Folsom City Council Meeting, in the City of Folsom E-Newsletter and various city social media platforms.