Christmas contest now in works

The annual fall decorative pot contest is under way in downtown Ironton whose goal is to give the city an autumn look.

A late start, however, has cut down on the number of displays this year so Ironton In Bloom, organizers, of the display, is focusing on the upcoming Christmas decorative event.

“We have expanded the time people can put up their arrangements,” Carol Allen of IIB, said. “Basically they have until the end of the month.”

The flower pots used to decorate Ironton with summer blooms are used for the fall contest. However, a miscommunication caused those flowers not to be taken out as early as in the past.

“The flowers didn’t come out of the pots until the very end of September,” Allen said. “(Because of that) people didn’t sign up. We are going to go ahead with the contest just as we advertised. But what we really have a push on is the Christmas pots.”

IIB is teaming up with Ironton aLive for the Christmas decorative pots and window displays.

“Ironton aLive’s Christmas committee is trying to make Ironton look more Christmasy,” she said.

City workers are getting receptacles ready so lights can be hung.

The goal is to get the Christmas decorations up by Nov. 15 to be in place for Small Business Saturday, which is Nov. 28.

“We have developed a lot of good community partnerships,” Allen said. “That has been good for the city and good for us, working with the same major focus of making Ironton a better place.”