Published: December 03, 2008 02:51 am      

Mannington ‘extravaganza’

Pole decorations have changed look of downtown area

MANNINGTON — Mannington Main Street’s North Pole Decorating Contest has created “an extravaganza through town.”

All 17 Mannington Main Street businesses are participating and have each been assigned a light pole to decorate for the holidays, director Jim Taylor said.

“It’s beautiful,” he said. “It changed the whole look of the downtown.”

The stores were allowed to begin working on their lampposts on Nov. 15. Taylor said about 13 or 14 businesses have already put up their creations, and some of them are very elaborate.

The remaining shops must decorate their light poles by Friday, which is the deadline, he said. All the lampposts will be completed in time for Mannington’s annual Christmas parade on Saturday. The decorations will stay up until New Year’s Day.

Mannington Main Street started this new contest to bring more traffic through the downtown business district. Some people drive though the city every day to look at the colorful lampposts and see if any new ones have been added, Taylor said.

“We thought this would make it more pleasant for the shoppers,” he said. “It’s been a big hit, not only with the businesses but with the residents of Mannington.”

Taylor said the store employees have put a lot of effort into decorating their light poles. As soon as he mentioned the idea for the contest to the businesses, they were eager to be a part of it.

A judge from Fairmont will chose the best Christmas lamppost. Main Street will announce the first-place winner of the North Pole Decorating Contest on Dec. 23, and the winning business will receive a plaque.

This is only the first year of the contest, but Taylor is certain that Mannington Main Street will continue this holiday activity because of the great response.

“I think it’s just getting people in the Christmas spirit,” he said.

For more information, call Mannington Main Street at 986-2037.

E-mail Jessica Legge at jlegge@timeswv.com.