Downtowns for the holidays

There’s plenty going on in downtown – Downtown Waynesboro and Downtown Harrisonburg – to keep us busy in a good way the next few weeks.
Two events of note in Waynesboro come to our attention today. The first is a holiday cookie-baking contest being sponsored by Waynesboro Downtown Development Inc. Registration begins Friday at the WDDI office at 301 W. Main St. The fee is five nonperishable food items that will be donated to the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank. Registration continues through Dec. 15.

The competition categories are teens (14-17), amateur adults and professionals. The contest will be judged based on appearance, presentation and, yum, taste.

Winners will be announced during the Christmas in the River City celebration on Dec. 19.

For more details, call the “Cookie Director,” Ruth, at 540.234.9083 or e-mail [email protected].

WDDI is also keeping at it with a downtown window-decorating contest that is open to downtown storefront owners through Friday. Storefront owners who wish to participate have through Friday, Dec. 6, the night of the annual city Christmas parade, to deck the halls with bows of holly and such.

The winner gets a free half-page, full-color ad in The News Virginian.

For more details, contact Rick Moyer at WDDI at 540.942.6705 or [email protected].

Moving from the River City to the Friendly City, we have on display an already-decorated storefront packed with the best gifts that Downtown Harrisonburg has to offer – at 124 S. Main St., the former La De Da space across the street from Dave’s Downtown Taverna. And it’s not just for show – you can win the entire window of gifts, though there is a catch. You have to visit at least half of the showcased businesses and find out the exact value of each donated item.

Values can be recorded on entry forms available in a drop-box at the decorated storefront or at the Hardesty Higgins-House and various downtown businesses.

Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance will collect all entries at the Hardesty-Higgins House (212 South Main Street) through Dec. 14 and will announce a winner on Monday, Dec. 15.

More details are available at 540.432.8922 or www.downtownharrisonburg.org.

 

– Story by Chris Graham