And the Winner of the GBA’s Winter Carnival Window Display Contest is…

Greenfield Business Association’s second annual contest was a success!

This was the second year the Greenfield Business Association (GBA) hosted a window display contest in conjunction with Greenfield’s Annual Winter Carnival hosted by the Greenfield Recreation Department. The carnival celebrated its 101st anniversary this year.

Grand prize of $2500 in radio advertising will go to Namaste (GBA member), and runner up prize of $1000 will go to Hen's & Chicks. About 350 votes were cast by downtown visitors, residents and shoppers throughout the week of January 30th through February 5th.

Diana Nunez, Front Manager for Namaste, said "Namaste was honored to participate and delighted to win the Winter Carnival Window Contest. Our theme - love is love - reflects how much we loved being part of the Winter Carnival and seeing people bundling up and enjoying themselves. The family of staff here at Namaste love to serve up meals in this wonderfully diverse community that makes real efforts to support their local businesses. The advertising packet couldn't have come at a better time as starting April 1st Namaste will start serving beer and wine along with marvelous meals prepared by Chef Chander with his 20 years of experience to cook up great Indian comfort food."

Hens and Chicks owner Mindy Barnes said "The GBA’s Window Display Contest is a fun and creative way to support local small businesses in Greenfield. We look forward to participating in it every year!"

Other voter favorites included Main Street Bar & Grille, Imaginary Bookshop, Mattress Outlet, Looky Here, Aliber's Bridal, Antique Revival, The Recover Project, and Transitions Hair Salon. Ten downtown businesses entered the contest and created a variety of window displays featuring winter scenes and windows full of love for the community. People cast their votes for their favorites and the votes were counted.

“We started the contest as part of the Rec Department’s 100th Winter Carnival celebration last year with the addition of the activities pulled together on the Common and Court Square. Thrilled by the amount of voter participation and interest by downtown businesses last year, it seemed like the a good event to continue. It really provides a perfect opportunity to encourage people to get more involved with the businesses downtown as they enjoyed the Carnival’s other activities including our Carnival on Court Square ran in cooperation with Hawks & Reed Performing Arts Center,” GBA Coordinator Rachel Roberts said.

She shared that the GBA is pleased with the participation of businesses and community members alike—especially in the bitter cold. It was fantastic to see folks bundled up and trying to make the most out of the Carnival.

“As this was the second year of the contest, some of the participating businesses were already ready for it. Other first-timers were either interested from last year or were inspired by the generous prize from the local radio stations. The businesses made some truly lovely displays,” Roberts commented. “We’re also thrilled to once again have had so much voter participation.”

The GBA partnered with local radio stations WHAI, BEAR Country, The OUTLAW, and EZ107.5, which will award a custom airtime package on the stations worth $3,500 total. The criteria for winning was the most votes in the GBA’s online voting form.

“The Rec Dept has been asking us to have a contest for a few years, with the addition of the activities pulled together at the Common and on Court Square, and this seemed like the perfect year to encourage people to get more involved with the businesses downtown as they enjoyed the Carnival’s other activities,” GBA Coordinator Rachel Roberts said.

She shared that the GBA is pleased with the participation of businesses and community members alike.

“The participating businesses were so enthusiastic about the contest, and they made some truly lovely displays,” Roberts commented. “We’re also thrilled to have had so much voter participation.”

The GBA intends to run the event again at the 2024 Winter Carnival and keep it a yearly event. It thanks all participating businesses, which made the downtown atmosphere festive and vibrant throughout Greenfield’s 101st Winter Carnival.

Posted: to GBA News on Fri, Feb 10, 2023
Updated: Wed, Feb 15, 2023