ADAMS, Mass. — The Mother Town is resurrecting an old tradition with the Holiday Home Decorating Contest.

 

Homeowners are encouraged to decorate the exterior of their residences so they can be seen from the street and judged. Winners will receive gift cards from Adams Hometown Market.

 

"It's probably been at least eight years if not longer since we've done this," Town Clerk Haley Meczywor said at Wednesday's Selectmen's meeting. "This is a little bit different from years past. The Events Committee used to take a night or two nights, and drive around and judge all the houses and then come collectively and make a determination on first, second and third prize. This year I'm happy to report that the community is going to be the judge."

 

Registration is open now through 5 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 11, and judging will be on Friday, Dec. 18, and Saturday, Dec. 19, and the winners will be announced on Tuesday, Dec. 22. Registration is free and open to anyone living within the bounds of the town of Adams.

 

Once all the participants have signed up, the town will generate a map for community members to follow and to vote on the decorations online.

 

"On Dec. 16, you can print off your map and you can drive around the community and look at all the houses that people have decorated and all of our participants, and then you're going to be able to go back online, and you're going to be able to cast your vote for first, second and third prize," Meczywor said. "We ask all of our participants to have their lights on and all of their decorations all lit up so that people can drive by and look at them and admire them."

 

Participants are ask to be creative and festive, have fun and be safe, she said. The activity will also allow for community members to participate in a safe way in line with pandemic precautions by remaining in their cars while they admire the decorations.

 

The first place winner will get a $75 gift card from Adams Hometown Market and second and third place will get a $50 and a $25 card, respectively.

 

Selectmen John Duval and Joseph Nowak thanked the volunteers who pulled this together. Town Administrator Jay Green said the genesis of the idea came from a conversation with town resident Mary Whitman. He turned to Meczywor and Town Treasurer Kelly Rice, who both helped spearhead project.

 

It should be an enjoyable activity for families, said Nowak. "The little kids need a little bit of spark because they're under a lot of pressure right now with this COVID."

 

"I've said this before and I'll say it again, it's things like this, during times like this, that really do make a difference," Green said. "We really do have a special community here so just from the town administrator to my, my colleagues, town clerk and in town treasurer thank you very much for for doing this."