10th Annual Deck Your Halls Contest Concludes With Three Winners

By LILY TINOCO | Assistant Editor

As the lights have come down and decorations are stored away for the next holiday season, the Palisadian-Post is announcing the winners of the 2023 Deck Your Halls home decorating contest, as voted on by the community.

The Liska family, who reside in the Alphabet Streets and were entry #3 on the ballot, won Best Decked Out Hall—marking the first time they won a prize in the contest.

“We love to embrace the holiday spirit with festive, colorful lights and decor, both outside and inside our home,” Lacie Liska said to the Post. “It’s become a tradition with our family.”

When asked if the family had a favorite decoration, Lacie said her boys loved the large Santa Claus inflatable, who could be seen waving to passersby from the front balcony.

Joanna and Charles Curtis, entry #10 on the ballot, won this year’s prize for Best Theme—the couple has previously participated and taken home prizes in the contest, most recently in 2021.

“My family loves decorating for Christmas,” Charles said. “As a rule, we don’t start decorating the outside until the day after Thanksgiving … My kids, Joey (14) and Violet (11), were a big help this year, but none of it happens without the support of my amazing wife, Joanna.”

Charles said the family loves the blend of inflatable decorations with real wood decorations, with their wooden reindeer, sleigh and snowmen family placed beside an inflatable Santa Claus in a fire truck.

“My favorite decoration is the 12-foot arch that we added this year,” Charles shared. “It really added to the overall feel and complemented the Santa on the fire truck really well.”

This year’s home decorating contest marked the first time the Post sought a winner with the Greenest Decor, as inspired by reader feedback, awarded to the home with the most environmentally sustainable decorations.

Robert and Jo Ann Klein, entry #7, earned the award for Greenest Decor. Jo Ann revealed that the couple’s decor-inspiration lay behind their eight grandchildren, who all live in the Palisades.

“They love that we decorate for every holiday,” Jo Ann said to the Post. “Along with Christmas, we do Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Easter [and more].”

When asked which decoration might have stuck out to the voters in relation to sustainability, Jo Ann credited their lights, which were all LED.

Jo Ann and Robert, who live in the Alphabet Streets, met in first grade at Corpus Christi School and moved to town in 1949. Their three children were born here.

For winning the Deck Your Halls contest, the families were awarded items from Theatre Palisades, The Smoke Label, McConnell’s Fine Ice Creams, Alfred, BE ROSY, Palisades Gift Shop, Porta Via, LadyBird, and Flour Café & Pizzeria.