Durham City’s Best Christmas Business Frontage Competition is back!!!!

The City of Durham Parish Council is delighted to once again be organising and judging the Durham City ‘Best Christmas Business Frontage Competition’ The competition aims to add an extra level of sparkle to Durham City during the festive season and hopes to promote businesses in the City of Durham Parish area as a whole to shoppers and visitors of our great City. This year, 3 businesses of any kind at all in the City will win a prize of £500.

Any business in Durham City with a frontage may enter the competition.

In order to enter the competition this year, please complete the following form: https://forms.gle/vZWQ22NENvHzJwp19 by 5:00pm on Wednesday 25^th November 2026.

Judging will take place on Tuesday 1^st December from 3:30pm so please have your windows complete by this time. The results will be announced soon thereafter.

Judging and Judging Criteria

The window display that is judged must be the same as the display that will continue to be in the business window(s) throughout the Christmas period.

This year there are no categories and the four best businesses will win. Whilst businesses may choose to adopt a theme of their own, it is individual business displays that will be judged.

We will judge against the following criteria:

• Innovation and creativity. How new or different is the window display?
• Spirit of Christmas and festivity. How well does the display convey the ‘Spirit of Christmas’ and a festive message?
• Merchandising how well does the business show case its merchandise/ products/ services.
• Overall impression and visual impact. E.g. how well is the window lit up?

Judges will award up to 5 points for each of the criteria. Judges will work together and will agree the score against each criterion and therefore the total score. The highest score will win a £500 prize.

Judging

Awards Presentation

The Awards presentation will take place at the City of Durham Parish Council Christmas Civic event on Tuesday 8^th December from 6:30pm. All winning businesses will receive an invitation to the awards ceremony with further details after the final judging.

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