Boo! On Broadway Wrap-Up, Joy & Lights Tree Lighting Event, Holiday Joy Book & Window Decorating Contest

 

Boo! On Broadway Wrap-Up

We had a busy October with all the Boo! On Broadway activities and we want to say a big THANK YOU for your enthusiasm, support, and participation!   Here’s a quick overview of the month!
  • 49 unique and amazing pumpkin displays were entered in the Great Pumpkin Pop-Up Decorating Contest and over 1400 votes were cast! Between the ballot matching and prizes, we were able to donate a grand total of $1000 to the Choices Youth Shelter! Congratulations to our winners: Johanis Karate, Son of a Chef Bakery, & J’s DIY!
  • We received over 100 entries in our Spooky Selfie Contest and heard so much great feedback from members of the public about the Halloween displays – way to go OBIA Better Together Task Force and OBIA Staff!
  • We gave out over 600 treat bags to kids during the Witches Walk Scavenger Hunt and Halloween Haunt at the Farmers’ Market – that’s a lot of candy and a lot of happy kids!
  None of these activities would have been possible without your support, so thank you to those who carved pumpkins late into the night, fostered a witch or story page in your window, took a selfie, decorated your windows, and shared our posts!   All these little things add up and show the public that we care about our community and that we appreciate every time our customers choose local!  

Love Downtown?  Volunteer with us!

Do you have some extra time and energy to contribute to our Downtown community?  Do you have some great ideas to share?  If you are interested in becoming involved as:
  • a volunteer member of the OBIA Better Together Task Force
OR
  • a volunteer OBIA Board Member
Please email ambassador @downtownorangeville.ca for more information.   We’d love to hear from you!  
 

Joy & Lights: Celebrating a Hometown Holiday Season

Preparations are well underway at the OBIA for the Holiday season, and we’re going to be kicking off something new and exciting this year!  Keep reading for more details:

Joy & Lights

Celebrating a Hometown Holiday Season

November 19th
  • On Friday, November 19th we will host the Annual Tree Lighting. The very jolly ‘ole fellow from the North Pole along with some other special guests will light the town Christmas tree at 7pm.
  • A live reading of ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas by David Nairn and live musical performances by the princesses from Arendelle (yes, Ana & Elsa!) who will also stroll Broadway and greet our littlest guests.
  • Launch of the Holiday Joy Book – our holiday shopping stamp book (see below!), with a special promotion: double your stamps tonight only!
  • We will advertise Starlight Shopping until 8pm. We are kindly asking stores to stay open late and consider offering a special promotion to coincide with this event (ideas include a BOGO event, free cookie or candy cane, sale on a special item, free gift with purchase, etc.)
  **Please note that the roads will remain open for this event.  We are asking members of the public to respect social distancing, mask wearing, and posted capacity limits at each place of business.    
 

Holiday Joy Book – sign up today!

  This holiday season we are launching something new and really exciting!  The Joy Book! What is it?
  • The Joy Book is a holiday shopping stamp booklet launching on November 19th.
How does it work?
  • Downtown Orangeville customers can pick up their Joy Book from any participating business and receive a stamp or initial for every $10 they spend. Example, if they spend $60 at your store, they receive 6 stamps/initials.
  • Once their Joy Book has been filled with 20 stamps, the customer drops their completed Joy Book in the big red holiday drop box outside of Readers’ Choice for a chance to win 1 of 4 amazing prizes - including the Grand Prize of $1000 Downtown Dollars!
  • The more our customers shop, the more chances they have to WIN! There is no limit on the number of completed Joy Books they can enter.
  Why should my business participate in this program?
  • Last year, a similar program in Downtown Peterborough saw shoppers stamp more than $2 million in holiday shopping stamp books! The Joy Book will motivate customers to:
  • shop local first
  • spend more per transaction
  • visit more than one location
  • This program is only open to OBIA members and is free to participate. When you sign up, you will be listed on our website as a participating business, and we will deliver the Joy Books to you.
  How do I sign up?   Will participating businesses be required to use a special stamp?
  • You can use a stamp if you like, but simply initialling the booklet on one of the holiday icons works just as well!
  How will the OBIA promote the Joy Book?
  • The Joy Book’s launch will coincide with the Annual Tree Lighting Event on November 19th in a special “double your stamps” shopping event.
  • The OBIA will advertise the Joy Book via social media, in print ads, as well as provide participating businesses with posters and other promotional materials.
Can I opt in or out of the program at a later date?  
 

Holiday Decorating Contest – Back by Popular Demand!

  Get those holiday windows ready because we’ve got a really exciting prize to announce! The OBIA, in partnership with our friends at In the Hills Magazine and Green Monkey Creative, will award the 1st Place winner with a grand prize marketing package worth $1500! This grand prize marketing package includes a ¼ page advertisement in the spring edition of In the Hills Magazine and ad design services by Green Monkey Creative to create your custom ad. Second and Third place winners with receive $200 and $100 respectively in marketing bucks that they can use towards their own In the Hills ad or towards any other marketing. Registration is free and easy. Once your window is complete, take a photo and send it to: ambassador@downtownorangeville.ca .  That’s it! A panel of judges will decide the winner on December 15th.  The winner will be announced at the Annual General Meeting in January. The Window Decorating Contest is a fun way to celebrate the season, creates a festive and beautiful downtown, attracts visitors, and showcases your business – we encourage all businesses with storefront windows to participate! Here are some tips to for creating a great window:
  • Shoppers and judges will view your windows at night – make sure to stand back and view your display at night to ensure all elements are adequately lit.
  • Turn off or dim competing lights inside. Keep just the featured lighting on at night for best exposure.
  • Stick with a clear theme or colour scheme for the biggest impact.
  • Be creative, think outside the box, tell a story, surprise your customers, and have fun!
  Lots of exciting things ahead!  Please get in touch if you have any questions