Patriotic Home Decorating Contest Expands for July 4

Fly the flags, hang the bunting and decorate with red, white and blue because the annual Patriotic Home Decorating Contest is expanding to every street in Pacific Palisades this July.
Sponsored by the Palisades Americanism Parade Association (PAPA) and Joan Sather Real Estate, the contest is entering its sixth year, having become a popular Fourth of July tradition in the Alphabet streets, Via bluffs and Huntington neighborhoods as residents engage in friendly competition with neighbors to see whose home is decorated with the most creative patriotic displays.
This year, the entire town will be able to compete with their neighbors for bragging rights and valuable prizes, which include an American flag that flew over the U.S. Capitol, discounts at local businesses and an annual subscription to the Palisadian-Post.
Until now, the contest has been limited to the neighborhoods through which the Fourth of July parade runs.
“We have always wanted the entire community to participate,” said PAPA President Rob Weber, “but because our judges personally view every home, it would just be too time-consuming to require them to drive up-and-down every street in town.”
This year, Weber and longtime local realtor and Palisadian Joan Sather dreamed up a way to clear that hurdle, using technology to their advantage.
“We realized that many people now have the ability to easily post photographs to Facebook, or to e-mail them,” Weber said. “So, we are going to ask anyone interested in entering to simply send us a picture of their decorated homes. We will conduct our preliminary judging using those photographs, and then our judges will personally visit the Top 10 finalists during the final round.”
To enter the contest, simply post a photo of your decorated home to PAPA’s Facebook page (search for “Pacific Palisades Fourth of July Celebration” on Facebook), or e-mail the photo to info@palisadesparade.org. Please include your name and property address. There is no fee to enter, and no other registration required.
Entries must be submitted by July 1. Final judging will be conducted by a panel of local celebrity judges, and awards presented, on the afternoon of July 3.
Questions? E-mail: info@palisadesparade.org.