Courtesy photo Nevaeh is a salon at 604 Ludington Street. It is one of 43 business currently listed on the decorating contest poll.

ESCANABA — Escanaba’s downtown businesses could be recognized for decorating their buildings for Christmas through a new promotional project to encourage a festive atmosphere in the city.

Residents are being asked to choose their favorite decorated business and vote online to determine the best looking storefront in the downtown. The Walking in a Winter Windowland promotion was initiated by the Business Partners Committee of the Escanaba Downtown Development Authority.

“We wanted to encourage businesses to light up our downtown, to bring people in and just make it pretty,” said Julie Lambert, chair of the Business Partners Committee and owner of Leigh’s Garden Winery. “I just like lights. It brings the Christmas spirit to the downtown.”

The businesses that have already decorated for the holidays have been added to a poll on escanabadowntown.com. Voters can added other businesses that might be missing to the list. An advertising package will be awarded to the business with the most votes.

Nicole Wyckoff was one of those business owners who decorated for the holidays. The front of her new business, Nevaeh, is packed with lighted trees for Christmas.

“I wanted it to be noticeable from the street when people were driving down that there was something new going on. And, I wanted people to be excited with us because we are so excited to be a part of the community,” Wyckoff said.

Nevaeh is a salon at 604 Ludington Street. It is one of 43 business currently listed on the poll.

Having the business decorated for the holidays, Wyckoff said, helps people get excited about the season and spending time with their families.

“A lot of times we get overwhelmed this time of year and we forget why we are doing all those extra things. I just wanted everyone to take a minute, take a breath and enjoy the lights and the trees and just feel peaceful,” she said.

The Walking in a Winter Windowland promotion will be online through Dec. 31.

The promotion is in addition to the other lights in the downtown. The garland providing a lighted canopy over Ludington Street is purchased each year by the Escanaba DDA and installed by the city electric department. And, the Christmas Tree was decorated by students from the Upper Elementary School.

Lambert said the goal is to provide more lights and decorations to the downtown.