From a flying Santa to festive Pokemons, the winners of a hotly-contested window display competition have been announced.
Almost 40 traders in Weymouth took part in the We Are Weymouth Winter Wonderland Window Display Competition over the 2023 festive period.
The competition saw an impressive array of participants, each contributing to the festive ambience of Weymouth's streets.
Organisers We Are Weymouth, the town's Business Improvement District (BID), said participants' 'exceptional efforts' showcased the 'dedication and creativity of local businesses in fostering community spirit'.
Members of the public voted for their favourite Christmas shop window over the course of a month, casting almost 800 votes.
The aim of the displays was to ‘create a sense of wonder’ and attract customers to the shops.
We Are Weymouth gave additional commendation awards to those who either used their window space cleverly or made best use of their shop contents to make an impact.
Dawn Rondeau-Irvine, Chief Operations Officer at We Are Weymouth, said: "We were thrilled to witness the outpouring of creativity and holiday cheer displayed by our local businesses, so much so that we’re planning to run a spring window competition to celebrate the return of sunshine!
"A huge congratulations to all the winners and participants for their remarkable contributions in making Weymouth a true winter wonderland!"
In first place was Vibrant You Beauty, which had windows showing a white wonderland with Father Christmas himself flying his sleigh.
The display also featured beautiful lights and was across both windows.
Owner Siobhan Rhymer said: "We've always put a lot of effort into our windows, and this means the world to myself and the team.
"Christmas is my absolute favourite time of the year, and I’m glad our window display made passers-by smile daily over the past few weeks."
In second place was Boss Miniatures, where an array of gaming stock was used to create a festive window with Pokémon at the forefront.
Floral Couture, which took a leaf out of Weymouth’s recent Steampunk weekend, drew viewers into the fantasy of a Victorian Christmas and was awarded third place.
Meanwhile, King Edwards Fish & Chip Shop was Highly Commended for the scale of its effort, with three almost floor to ceiling windows showing a winter wonderland filled with Santa’s little helpers, a nod to Weymouth’s reputation of being 'the UK’s Elf capital'.
Weldmar Hospicecare Shop was also Highly Commended for using only items from within the shop, and creating a life-sized nativity scene.
The prize for winners Vibrant You Beauty prize included a month's PR and marketing in a variety of media.
People who chose Vibrant You Beauty were entered into a public draw and the winner was named as Elysia Clarke.
Elysia received a hamper of goods supplied from local businesses.
The window display competition will run again in the spring.
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