Fort Fairfield residents, businesses embrace holiday spirit with townwide decorations

This year the Fort Fairfield Quality of Place Council allocated several thousand dollars to replace the holiday decorations that were destroyed when the community bandstand collapsed in the winter of 2017. New decorations are now on display at the restored community bandstand near Main Street (shown here). (Contributed photo)

FORT FAIRFIELD, Maine — In hopes of spreading more holiday cheer among residents and businesses this season, the Fort Fairfield Quality of Place Council held its first-ever Celebration of Lights that included a much anticipated home decorating competition and more festive decorations throughout the downtown area.

On Saturday, Dec. 15, judges from the council were out and about on the quiet streets of Fort Fairfield taking in the most creative and imaginative holiday lights and scenes displayed in front yards. This is the first time that Fort Fairfield has hosted a home decorating contest, with 13 homeowners competing.

The Quality of Place Council is a 501C3 nonprofit organization that merged with members of the Fort Fairfield Chamber of Commerce after the later group disbanded in 2017. Since then the council has brainstormed ways that they can increase enthusiasm for the holiday spirit among residents and downtown businesses.

This year, the council allocated several thousand dollars to replace the holiday decorations that were destroyed when the community bandstand collapsed in the winter of 2017. With those funds, the organization also helped numerous businesses that did not regularly decorate in the past, such as Hillside IGA, Acadia Medical Center and the town’s post office, to string Christmas lights around the outside of their buildings.

Susan Everett of 7 Hamilton Avenue in Fort Fairfield kept her Christmas decorations simple with traditional garland and lights and a Santa Claus figure in the yard. Although Everett did not place in this year’s Celebration of Lights home decorating contest, she said she has enjoyed seeing the renewed interest in holiday decorating throughout town.
(Melissa Lizotte)

Quality of Place Council President Phil Christensen also came up with the idea of creating a potato barrel Christmas tree near the Fort Fairfield Blockhouse. Board member Tim Goff said that the decorations on businesses and homes have helped to create a greater sense of community in town during the holiday season.

“The decorations have added some color to the darkest days of winter,” Goff said. “People have responded in a really positive way and I think it spreads even more of the holiday spirit.”

Throughout Saturday evening, a group of secret judges drove to all 13 addresses entered in the home decorating contest and based their chosen winners on both quantity and quality of the decorations. They gave bonus points to any display that featured music, a special theme or other unique features.

On Monday, the Quality of Place Council announced that Janet Giberson of 10 Depot Street won first place for her wide array of decorations that included multi-colored Christmas lights strung on her home, garage and backyard shed, a real snowman standing near the front entrance,  and “carolers” standing beneath fake snowflakes hanging from tree branches.

Second place went to Debbie and James Iverson of 95 Fort Hill Street for their redneck Christmas-themed display of a blow-up camper, Santa Claus and reindeer while Dylan Tilley of 339 Houlton Road received third place for his long string of colored lights hung around his home and barn and characters such as Santa and Mrs. Claus, penguins, the Nutcracker and a manger scene.

Giberson received a $100 gift card to Boondocks Grille while the Iversons received a $50 gift card to One of a Kind flower and gift shop, and Tilley received a $25 gift card to Hillside IGA.

Fort Fairfield resident and fellow home decorating contest competitor Susan Everett has noticed how much the holiday lights and unique decorations have brought out a greater holiday spirit throughout the small town.

For their Celebration of Lights entry the Fort Fairfield Quality of Place Council created a potato barrel Christmas tree (left) and strung Christmas lights on the Fort Fairfield Blockhouse. Both structures face residents as they drive or walk down Main Street this holiday season.
(Courtesy of Fort Fairfield Quality of Place Council)

“All the decorations lit up around town are beautiful and it has brought a lot of cheer to people,” said Everett, who lives at 7 Hamilton Avenue.

Although she did not place in the home decorating contest, Everett noted that her true motivation for sprucing up the front yard is to see the reaction on her grandchildren’s faces when they travel from Florida to visit at Christmas.

“I made it simple and just put the traditional garland and lights around the house and a tree and Santa Claus figure in the yard,” Everett said. “I wanted to do something that I knew the grandchildren would enjoy.”

With the Celebration of Lights, Goff said the Quality of Place Council hopes to create a memorable tradition for local families that can last for years to come.

“I remember when I was a kid, the whole family would hop in the car and drive around at night to look at all the Christmas lights and displays in the neighborhood,” Goff said. “So we appreciate all the effort that the homeowners made to bring some joy to people this time of year. We’re looking forward to seeing this event grow over time.”