“We needed an opportunity to let people celebrate Christmas for what it is,” Betsy Fannin said, explaining plans for the upcoming “Grayson Merry & Bright Christmas Light Trail” by the Grayson Area Chamber of Commerce.
In 2020 in often seems that everything has been cancelled.
“We’ve had so many celebrations minimized. We aren’t having the Christmas Parade. We’re not having the Christmas celebration and a lot of company Christmas parties have been canceled,” Betsy Fannin said, explaining the Chamber’s plans to organize the “Grayson Merry & Bright Christmas Light Trail” and guide carloads of families along a path of lighted homes, businesses, municipal organizations and churches.
“This is not just in the city – anyone in the county can light and decorate their exterior and be a part of it,” Fannin added.
“We want people to let their inner Clark Griswold come out and enter the contest on Facebook!”
People are asked to send in a photo of their decorated exterior (“It can be from last year!”) to qualify for a numbered yard sign they can pick up at the Grayson Tourism Commission cabin. Each registered Christmas display will then be pinpointed on the official Grayson Merry & Bright Christmas Trail map, allowing viewers to easily find them.
Three weeks of voting will officially begin November 29, with touring judges asked to select their favorite home, neighborhood, business and organization for prizes.
The house with the most votes as of December 21 will receive a $250 award from Pure Country Automotive. Home with the second and third highest number of votes will be rewarded with $100 and $50 respectively, sponsored by Family Vision Health Care.
The neighborhood with the most participating homes will be recognized with a banner near the entrance to their community. A trophy will also be presented to the business which gets the most votes, as well as the organization (churches, fire departments etc.).
“For added fun,” Fannin said there will be weekly drawings for additional “Grayson Bucks” prizes to be spent at locally owned and operated businesses. Sponsored by Brooks Wells Century 21 BW Enterprises, organizers will draw a house number at random to determine each week’s $75 winner.
The “Grayson Bucks” drawings will be held on Friday, December 4, 11 and 18 at the offices of the Carter County Post, inside Antiques N Uniques at 602 Carol Malone Boulevard.
“We hope people will encourage their neighbors to just light up their neighborhoods and give families an opportunity to drive around and just enjoy the Christmas spirit,” Fannin said.
For more information visit
https://www.facebook.com/events/1317591841922719
The “Merry & Bright Christmas Trail” in Carter County has also inspired organizers at the Boyd County Tourism & Convention Bureau to adopt and implement a similar event – the “BoCo Light Trail”, Fannin noted. For more information on that effort visit
https://www.facebook.com/bctcb