BY TINA L. SCOTT
EDITOR
Last week the City of Merrill announced the winners of Merrill’s Second Annual Holiday Decorating Contest sponsored by the City of Merrill and Merrill Area Chamber of Commerce.
The winners of the decorating contest, as voted on by those who took the Tour of Lights Bus Ride on Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2023, for the official judging, were as follows.
In the residential category, the top three selected out of 22 entrants were:
First place: Rachel Georgandas, 204 E. 1st St.
Second place: John and Brenda Henson, 2506 Rio Grande Dr.
Third place: Tina Beranek, 1206 River St.
The winners of the business decorating contest, and the only three entrants this year, were:
First place: River Country Co-op Country Store, 1400 Logan Ave.
Second place: Strive For Life, 902 E. First St.
Third place: RTL Electric, 107 E. First St.
This year’s Tour of Lights Bus Ride filled three buses for the tour and had many people on a waiting list, Merrill Mayor Steve Hass said. The City is looking at some additional options for next year due to the popularity of this now annual event as more and more people get into the holiday spirit and appreciate riding the bus so they can enjoy the lights without having to focus on driving to do so.
Congratulations to this year’s winners! It’s not too late to drive around to enjoy the lights at night. We don’t have snow yet, but we do have beautiful light displays in our community nonetheless.