by Cassandra Hetherington

DC Holiday Lights returns to brighten our streets on Friday November 19th, running until January 6th. This fun streetscape decorations will be in 14 unique commercial corridors with hundreds of businesses signed up to decorate their storefronts. Residents and visitors are invited to pursue the streets, soak in the razzle and dazzle of the season, and participate in a scavenger hunt, all while hopefully shopping small to support our local businesses.

The DC Holiday Lights Scavenger Hunt kicks off on Black Friday, November 26. You can earn entries for each commercial corridor you visit during December, and by completing other scavenger hunt tasks like visiting murals on the corridors and finding secret codes at businesses across DC. The more entries you earn, the the greater the chance you could win one of the $5,000 in prizes available from local businesses all across the District.

***Fish in the Hood*** *went above and beyond to show their community and holiday spirit to win Best in Show in 2019.*

There are multiple corridors within the Greater Petworth area participating: Lower Georgia Avenue Main Street, Uptown Main Street (businesses covered under the new Petworth Main Street will be included as part of Uptown Main Street’s Holiday Lights this year, while the new Main Street gets up & running) and The Parks Main Street.

“As we start to emerge from almost two years of pandemic times, DC Holiday Lights provides an opportunity for communities across DC to come together and to support local business,” explains Brianne Dornbush, Executive Director of District Bridges, who is organizing the event again this year. “Local businesses are the heartbeat of the District, and we are still very much in danger of losing the businesses that make our city and neighborhoods so unique.”

In addition to the light displays, there are raffles and public voting on the best individual and corridor light displays. Individual Main Streets will also have unique events happening. All prizes were generously donated by local businesses.

“Best of DC” went to the Woodley Park Main Street last year and this year’s winner will be announced on December 15 at Garden District. Tickets to that event will be available to purchase later this month.

DC Holiday Lights is a month-long event coordinated by District Bridges in an effort to encourage residents to explore, shop, and dine locally this holiday season. To learn more, visit www.DCHolidayLights.org.