Let your festive spirit shine true

People who have already or are contemplating decorating and lighting up their homes for Christmas have added incentive as part of a region-wide challenge.

Radio stations 3WM and MIXX FM and The Weekly Advertiser have joined forces with Horsham Plaza for a Christmas Lights competition.

Prizes are up for grabs in the competition, which started on Saturday and will continue until December 20.

MIXX FM and 3WM radio promotions manager Kaycee Bould said the competition was open to anyone living in the listening and readership areas.

“We want people to make the effort to decorate their houses and to show off their Christmas spirit,” she said.

“Get the family involved, get the street together, the neighbours in on the act – even your whole town. We’re encouraging everyone to light up the Wimmera, Grampians and Mallee to show how much we cherish this time of year.”

The house that wins the Christmas Lights competition will receive $500 cash from ACE Radio as well as a $500 voucher to spend at Horsham Plaza.

Second prizewinner will win a $100 plaza voucher and third a $50 voucher. All prizes will also come with a gift pack from The Weekly Advertiser, 3WM and MIXX FM.

Ms Bould said the winner might be the house with the most extravagant or most clever and-or subtle lighting display in the region.

“It’s not necessarily about how many lights you have up – it’s about how creative you can be and what display best promotes Christmas spirit,” she said.

“In the past we’ve seen blow-up Santas wobbling on roof-tops, sleighs in front yards and all sorts of creativity. And the creativity is what we want to see.

“One of the wonderful and fun traditions for many is to get the kids in the car and go cruising to look at Christmas lights.

“That is the idea we want to continue to foster – not only in the major centres, but also the regional towns and localities. This competition is all about the region in which we live.”

Ms Bould said all people needed to do to qualify for the competition was to submit photographs of their display online at 3wm.com.au or mixx1013.com.au.

“But remember that you have to enter before close of business on December 20,” she said.