There’s a new holiday tradition taking shape in Mint Hill this year: a town-wide Christmas Light Contest!
Contest creators and lifetime Mint Hill residents Matt and Lauren Schwoebel have a passion for Christmas and decorating. “We go really big for Christmas!” says Lauren, whose home was featured on HGTV’s “All Out American Christmas” in 2011. “We use over 100,000 lights synchronized to music on a private radio station.”
The Schwoebels are one of many families in their neighborhood that goes all out for Christmas. “In years past, the entire street would decorate, we would enjoy watching people drive down the street, and talk with people who came to see the light show,” says Lauren. “The last couple of years we really haven’t done as much with our lights and really missed it.”
Lauren’s husband Matt formed the idea of a town-wide Christmas Light Contest, something that would bring back some of the Christmas spirit they were missing in recent years. “He thought it would be a neat idea to allow people all throughout the town to join in on a friendly competition, and overall just enjoy decorating, enjoy the Christmas season, and bring people in the community together,” says Lauren.
After floating the idea on the “What’s Up Mint Hill?” facebook group and receiving a positive response, Matt created his own Facebook Group: Mint Hill Christmas. Its membership quickly ballooned to over 100. “I hope that people will use the Mint Hill Christmas group to help participate in the contest, but also use it to share decorating ideas, share Christmas traditions, anything pertaining to decorating and celebrating the Christmas season right here in Mint Hill,” says Lauren. “We don’t want it to be a place for people to shop, or be shown a ton of advertisement. We want it to be light, fun, and a group for people to enjoy all things Christmas!”
While group members began sharing decorating ideas, voting on favorite Christmas movies, and debating the merits of white and colored Christmas lights, Matt and Lauren were busy getting the Christmas Light Contest up and running. They even obtained a few corporate sponsors: A Servant’s Heart, Matt’s Lawn Care, M&M Awards, and Wainwright Realty.
Registration for the contest is open through December 10. Anyone residing Mint Hill can register using the Google Form available in the Mint Hill Christmas group. Entrants will need to provide their name, a display name, and their address so that people can visit and view their display as well as some basic information about their light display. The $10.00 entry fee, payable by cash or check, will go directly to A Servant’s Heart, who will use the funds to support families in need in the Mint Hill Community.
From December 11 through December 18, Mint Hill residents will be able to visit entries and vote on their favorites using ballots obtainable at A Servant’s Heart. They can also vote by “liking” their favorite entry in the photo album in the Mint Hill Christmas group. After December 18, votes will be tallied, and they’ll announce the top five entries.
On or around December 19, a panel of judges will use a list of criteria to score the top five entries and award first, second and third place. The panel of judges and exact judging criteria have yet to be determined, but the Schwoebels promise it will be comprised of a variety of Mint Hill citizens who will evaluate the finalists on components like creativity and use of materials. Winners will receive a trophy and a sign to put in their yard.
Although the Schwoebels are hard at work decorating their own home for Christmas, you won’t see their name among the contest entries. “We decorate a lot for Christmas, and our house is somewhat known, so we didn’t want it to be unfair with us entering the contest,” says Lauren, “so we’ll share our decorations and invite people to come see, but we would rather see what other Mint Hill residents are doing, and let the competition be fair, and fun!”
