Festival of Lights contest returns to Barry County; $1,000 to be given to lucky winner
November 27, 2019
Charlea Estes-Jones
For the third year in a row, Barry County will have a different kind of holiday light contest. The best part? No matter how many strands of lights you can afford, you’re still in the running for a $1,000 grand prize. The Barry County Advertiser is teaming up with some special advertisers to bring back the contest for anyone who encourages a “Festival of Lights” across the county.
Anyone in Barry County who has holiday lights on their house from November 29 through December 23 is eligible to participate in a grand drawing of $1,000 cash. The hope is to make evening drives across Barry County more fun for kids of all ages (0-100+) by encouraging more people to decorate for the holidays.
Sponsors for this year's contest are: the Barry County Advertiser, Johnson Chiropractic, Willis Insurance, Security Bank, Barry Electric Cooperative, Arvest Bank, Whitley's Pharmacy, Freedom Bank and Jug'n Plug.
The rules are pretty simple:
• From 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., turn on some form of lighted holiday decor outside of your house. As long as you can see it from the street (or your driveway if you live off the road), it counts. One strand or 100, it all puts us in the holiday mood. Just light up Barry County with holiday cheer.
• Keep those lights on each evening from November 29 through December 23 (and beyond, if you want).
• Fill out the entry form in each week’s Advertiser and drop off, mail, email or fax it in. Contact information is PO Box 488, Cassville, MO 65626; [email protected], or fax (417) 847-4523. Weekly entry forms will be printed in the Advertiser beginning November 28.
• Stop by one of our sponsor locations and fill out a form there, too. Sponsors for the contest will be announced in next week’s issue of the newspaper. More locations may be added during the contest, as well. Each time you visit one of the above locations, fill out another form. Individual businesses may have different rules and regulations regarding additional coupons. Entry forms will be available beginning Monday, December 2. Only people ages 18 and up are allowed to fill out the forms.
• Hope your name gets drawn for a prize.
It’s pretty easy. Every household in Barry County is eligible to participate. If you decorate for Christmas and make the holiday season a little more magical for people across the county, you could win up to $1,000.
Each week leading up to the final drawing there will also be drawings for gift baskets provided by local businesses. Each Friday, December 6 through December 20, a name will be drawn from the contest entries, and they will win one of the prizes. A gift certificate or gift basket from one of our sponsors will be given to one lucky participant. Each week, more prizes may be added as the contest goes on. (Households can win only one of the weekly prizes, however, weekly prize winners are still eligible for the grand prize if they fill out additional entry forms.)
Finally, on December 20, the Advertiser will go live on Facebook and draw the grand prize winner’s name. They will receive the $1,000 cash grand prize.
The Advertiser and their sponsors hope to continue to make this an annual event. We want everyone to feel like they can participate in the fun, even if they can only afford one strand of lights. This contest isn’t about how much money you can spend. It’s about participating.
Weekly and grand prize winners will be verified by a drive-by inspection by a staff member of the Barry County Advertiser. If lights are not visible upon inspection, another name will be drawn.
So, why did the Advertiser reach out to businesses across the county to team up and sponsor the Festival of Lights? The hope is that more and more people across the county, whether you live in the city or the country, will decorate for the holidays. We want to go back to the days of our childhoods where you saw more houses with lights than without. We want your help.
For questions, contact the Advertiser at (417) 847-4475 or email [email protected].
To fill out an entry form for the lighting contest, look in your weekly paper, stop in the Advertiser, and visit sponsors. Entry forms must be filled out and turned in at the same location at the same time. So if you stop in the Advertiser to fill out an extra contest form, you have to leave it at the Advertiser. You may not drop off forms from a different location at the Advertiser office or a different sponsor.
Do your part, light up Barry County, and win prizes.
Festival of Lights Q & A
Q: Are my lights going to be judged against other homes?
A: No! This isn’t a contest exactly, it’s a celebration of the holiday season. As long as your home has some kind of holiday light displayed, you have the same chance as someone who has thousands of lights displayed. Winners’ homes will be verified to have lights on them before prizes are awarded.
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Q: If my name is drawn, will you tell me before you check my house for lights?
A: Nope. Homes can be checked for displays anytime from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. any day of the week until December 23.
-
Q: What if my name is drawn, but my lights weren’t on for the inspection, do I still win?
A: No. A different name will be drawn for that prize.
-
Q: If I win, how do I collect my prize?
A: After your home is confirmed to have lights up, your prize will be available for pick up at the Advertiser office. You must have a valid ID and proof of address that matches your entry form to pick up your prize.
-
Q: How many entries can I turn in?
A: You may enter one time per day at each sponsor location. Individual sponsors may offer additional entry forms as part of promotions, such as purchases. You also may complete one entry form per week from the weekly Advertiser newspaper and turn it in.
-
Q: Do I have to buy something at the sponsors’ locations to get a form?
A: No. You do not need to make a purchase to fill out an entry form. Some sponsors may offer additional entry forms for promotional purposes, such as for purchasing a certain dollar amount of product at their business.
-
Q: Can I take entry forms with me and turn them in later?
A: No. You must fill out your form while at that location and leave it there.
-
Q: Do I have to use an official entry from?
A: Yes. However, for the entry forms in the newspaper each week, you’re welcome to send an image of the form instead of dropping it off physically. Only one weekly entry form will be accepted digitally from each person.
-
Q: Are entry forms discarded at the end of each week?
A: No. All entry forms are cumulative until the drawing of the grand prize on December 20. The only entry forms that will be discarded are winning forms of the weekly drawings.
-
Q: Can I fill out entry forms for someone else?
A: As long as the name of person entered has a valid ID for the address and consents to you filling out a form for them, yes. The participant must be able to pick up their prize and provide verification for their address. We do not want to prevent anyone with mobility issues from participating in the contest.
-
Q: Can more than one person enter at a given address?
A: Yes, as long as the person whose name on the form is at least 18 years old and can provide address verification.
-
Q: Do you sell or give away my address or information on the entry forms?
A: No. After the final drawing, the entry forms will be discarded.
-
Q: Will you make my address public if I win?
A: No. Your address will not be published or publicized, however, we do request a photo of the winning participant for publication in the newspaper.
Note: The Barry County Advertiser and its sponsors are not responsible for accidents related to this contest.
Disclaimer: Drawing open to Barry County residents only, must be 18 to enter. No purchase necessary. Not responsible for accidents. Address on form must be searchable by GPS or have clear directions to house attached. If address cannot be found, entry will be discarded and a new winner will be drawn. Illegible entries will be immediately discarded. To be eligible to win, address must have some sort of holiday light or lit holiday decoration that is easily visible at night from the main public road adjacent to winning address. Holiday lights include string lights, projection spotlights, inflatables, lit Christmas trees, etc. Lights may be inside or outside home, but regular house lights (i.e. porch lights, garage lights, room lights and security lights, ) do NOT count unless they are green or red. Lights must be visible from the nearest public roadway. Advertiser staff will not go on private property to verify lights. If lights are not visible from a public roadway, entry will be discarded. The Barry County Advertiser reserves all rights to determine eligibility of any entry and to reject entries as necessary. Weekly drawings will be held each Friday, December 6 through December 20, and are subject to sponsor donations. The ($1,000.00) grand prize drawing will be held on December 20 at approximately 4 p.m. Please present valid ID to collect grand prize. Festival of Lights entry forms are available at the Barry County Advertiser office located at 904 W. Street, Cassville, and in the November 28 through December 18 print editions of the Barry County Advertiser. Entry forms available at additional sponsor locations may be subject to purchase or promotions. Check with sponsors for details.
Charlea Estes-Jones
For the third year in a row, Barry County will have a different kind of holiday light contest. The best part? No matter how many strands of lights you can afford, you’re still in the running for a $1,000 grand prize. The Barry County Advertiser is teaming up with some special advertisers to bring back the contest for anyone who encourages a “Festival of Lights” across the county.
Anyone in Barry County who has holiday lights on their house from November 29 through December 23 is eligible to participate in a grand drawing of $1,000 cash. The hope is to make evening drives across Barry County more fun for kids of all ages (0-100+) by encouraging more people to decorate for the holidays.
Sponsors for this year's contest are: the Barry County Advertiser, Johnson Chiropractic, Willis Insurance, Security Bank, Barry Electric Cooperative, Arvest Bank, Whitley's Pharmacy, Freedom Bank and Jug'n Plug.
The rules are pretty simple:
• From 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., turn on some form of lighted holiday decor outside of your house. As long as you can see it from the street (or your driveway if you live off the road), it counts. One strand or 100, it all puts us in the holiday mood. Just light up Barry County with holiday cheer.
• Keep those lights on each evening from November 29 through December 23 (and beyond, if you want).
• Fill out the entry form in each week’s Advertiser and drop off, mail, email or fax it in. Contact information is PO Box 488, Cassville, MO 65626; [email protected], or fax (417) 847-4523. Weekly entry forms will be printed in the Advertiser beginning November 28.
• Stop by one of our sponsor locations and fill out a form there, too. Sponsors for the contest will be announced in next week’s issue of the newspaper. More locations may be added during the contest, as well. Each time you visit one of the above locations, fill out another form. Individual businesses may have different rules and regulations regarding additional coupons. Entry forms will be available beginning Monday, December 2. Only people ages 18 and up are allowed to fill out the forms.
• Hope your name gets drawn for a prize.
It’s pretty easy. Every household in Barry County is eligible to participate. If you decorate for Christmas and make the holiday season a little more magical for people across the county, you could win up to $1,000.
Each week leading up to the final drawing there will also be drawings for gift baskets provided by local businesses. Each Friday, December 6 through December 20, a name will be drawn from the contest entries, and they will win one of the prizes. A gift certificate or gift basket from one of our sponsors will be given to one lucky participant. Each week, more prizes may be added as the contest goes on. (Households can win only one of the weekly prizes, however, weekly prize winners are still eligible for the grand prize if they fill out additional entry forms.)
Finally, on December 20, the Advertiser will go live on Facebook and draw the grand prize winner’s name. They will receive the $1,000 cash grand prize.
The Advertiser and their sponsors hope to continue to make this an annual event. We want everyone to feel like they can participate in the fun, even if they can only afford one strand of lights. This contest isn’t about how much money you can spend. It’s about participating.
Weekly and grand prize winners will be verified by a drive-by inspection by a staff member of the Barry County Advertiser. If lights are not visible upon inspection, another name will be drawn.
So, why did the Advertiser reach out to businesses across the county to team up and sponsor the Festival of Lights? The hope is that more and more people across the county, whether you live in the city or the country, will decorate for the holidays. We want to go back to the days of our childhoods where you saw more houses with lights than without. We want your help.
For questions, contact the Advertiser at (417) 847-4475 or email [email protected].
To fill out an entry form for the lighting contest, look in your weekly paper, stop in the Advertiser, and visit sponsors. Entry forms must be filled out and turned in at the same location at the same time. So if you stop in the Advertiser to fill out an extra contest form, you have to leave it at the Advertiser. You may not drop off forms from a different location at the Advertiser office or a different sponsor.
Do your part, light up Barry County, and win prizes.
Festival of Lights Q & A
Q: Are my lights going to be judged against other homes?
A: No! This isn’t a contest exactly, it’s a celebration of the holiday season. As long as your home has some kind of holiday light displayed, you have the same chance as someone who has thousands of lights displayed. Winners’ homes will be verified to have lights on them before prizes are awarded.
-
Q: If my name is drawn, will you tell me before you check my house for lights?
A: Nope. Homes can be checked for displays anytime from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. any day of the week until December 23.
-
Q: What if my name is drawn, but my lights weren’t on for the inspection, do I still win?
A: No. A different name will be drawn for that prize.
-
Q: If I win, how do I collect my prize?
A: After your home is confirmed to have lights up, your prize will be available for pick up at the Advertiser office. You must have a valid ID and proof of address that matches your entry form to pick up your prize.
-
Q: How many entries can I turn in?
A: You may enter one time per day at each sponsor location. Individual sponsors may offer additional entry forms as part of promotions, such as purchases. You also may complete one entry form per week from the weekly Advertiser newspaper and turn it in.
-
Q: Do I have to buy something at the sponsors’ locations to get a form?
A: No. You do not need to make a purchase to fill out an entry form. Some sponsors may offer additional entry forms for promotional purposes, such as for purchasing a certain dollar amount of product at their business.
-
Q: Can I take entry forms with me and turn them in later?
A: No. You must fill out your form while at that location and leave it there.
-
Q: Do I have to use an official entry from?
A: Yes. However, for the entry forms in the newspaper each week, you’re welcome to send an image of the form instead of dropping it off physically. Only one weekly entry form will be accepted digitally from each person.
-
Q: Are entry forms discarded at the end of each week?
A: No. All entry forms are cumulative until the drawing of the grand prize on December 20. The only entry forms that will be discarded are winning forms of the weekly drawings.
-
Q: Can I fill out entry forms for someone else?
A: As long as the name of person entered has a valid ID for the address and consents to you filling out a form for them, yes. The participant must be able to pick up their prize and provide verification for their address. We do not want to prevent anyone with mobility issues from participating in the contest.
-
Q: Can more than one person enter at a given address?
A: Yes, as long as the person whose name on the form is at least 18 years old and can provide address verification.
-
Q: Do you sell or give away my address or information on the entry forms?
A: No. After the final drawing, the entry forms will be discarded.
-
Q: Will you make my address public if I win?
A: No. Your address will not be published or publicized, however, we do request a photo of the winning participant for publication in the newspaper.
Note: The Barry County Advertiser and its sponsors are not responsible for accidents related to this contest.
Disclaimer: Drawing open to Barry County residents only, must be 18 to enter. No purchase necessary. Not responsible for accidents. Address on form must be searchable by GPS or have clear directions to house attached. If address cannot be found, entry will be discarded and a new winner will be drawn. Illegible entries will be immediately discarded. To be eligible to win, address must have some sort of holiday light or lit holiday decoration that is easily visible at night from the main public road adjacent to winning address. Holiday lights include string lights, projection spotlights, inflatables, lit Christmas trees, etc. Lights may be inside or outside home, but regular house lights (i.e. porch lights, garage lights, room lights and security lights, ) do NOT count unless they are green or red. Lights must be visible from the nearest public roadway. Advertiser staff will not go on private property to verify lights. If lights are not visible from a public roadway, entry will be discarded. The Barry County Advertiser reserves all rights to determine eligibility of any entry and to reject entries as necessary. Weekly drawings will be held each Friday, December 6 through December 20, and are subject to sponsor donations. The ($1,000.00) grand prize drawing will be held on December 20 at approximately 4 p.m. Please present valid ID to collect grand prize. Festival of Lights entry forms are available at the Barry County Advertiser office located at 904 W. Street, Cassville, and in the November 28 through December 18 print editions of the Barry County Advertiser. Entry forms available at additional sponsor locations may be subject to purchase or promotions. Check with sponsors for details.
