The votes are in and Unger’s Shoes is the winner of Ironton In Bloom’s 2nd annual “Make Ironton Glisten This Christmas” storefront decorating contest.

The win earned Unger’s $100 and the distinction of being named “Holiday Business of the Month.”

Contest organizer and IIB chair Jan Wolfe was concerned early in the contest about the lack of votes being cast, but said many stores as of late November hadn’t even started to decorate.

“There were nearly 500 votes cast last year,” she said. “Every business that decorated its storefront last year received several votes.”

As decorating progressed, the number of votes also increased because this year’s contest had 17 businesses receive a total of 726 votes.

“We are so glad,” Joe Unger, owner of Unger’s Shoes, said. “We worked really hard on it and this is great news.”

Wolfe said Unger’s won by a slim margin, but with so many businesses participating and so many votes cast, the contest was destined to be a close race. Votes were submitted by ballot, email and phone calls, according to Wolfe.

Unger’s employee Sarah Smith spearheaded the design and décor of the store’s windows, which she said was not an easy undertaking.

“It took us two workdays to put it together,” she said. “It is similar to the same display we do every year, but with a few little things added. I have been checking all day to see if we won.”

Smith doesn’t see this year’s win as a one-time instance. She said she plans on wining it again next year.

“We try to make the window look nice and festive but also display our products,” she said. “We have the biggest windows in town that can be utilized for this so we are going to use them.”

The contest contributed to the overall Christmastime look of downtown, Wolfe said.

“On behalf of Ironton In Bloom, I would like to thank all the businesses who participated and everyone who voted,” Wolfe said. “Downtown really looks festive.”