After a difficult year, the joy, fun and vibrancy of the Christmas holidays in Oakland Park are back! The 5th Annual Oakland Park Holiday Village will take place December 3rd and 4th at Jaco Pastorius Park.
As part of the Holiday Village, the City of Oakland Park will be hosting a Christmas Tree Decorating Competition.
2019 Christmas Tree Decorating Competition Winners
In the last edition of the event, in 2019, the winners were Sal’s Towing, Stoked on Salt and El Guanaco.
Sal’s Towing was the Traditional Tree competition winner and was also the most voted one on People’s Choice.
Stoked on Salt won Florida Tree competition. The tree designed by Lisa Miceli brought elements like dive masks, sea horses, sailboats and mermaids.
El Guanaco won Children’s Tree competition presenting a tree full of toys, Santas and Christmas related ornaments.
How the Competition is Going to Work
The City of Oakland Park will purchase the trees and tree stands. Tree size will be approximately 6 feet.
The cost to decorate the tree is paid for by the business/person decorating/sponsoring the tree. Trees will be pre-lit, no need to purchase extra lights. However, a 10’-15’ extension cord is expected to be part of the décor.
The tree sponsor must decorate the tree or hire someone to decorate the tree in their behalf, on Thursday, December 2nd on-sight at Jaco Pastorius Park, from 12-Noon-9PM, and the decorator will have access to drive into the park to unload the decor. (If you plan on decorating after 5PM, the city will have lighting in the tent so you can see what you are doing).
Each decorated-sponsored tree will have a display sign with the sponsor’s name. The City of Oakland Park will design and supply the signage.
After the weekend-long event, the trees will be donated to families in-need in Oakland Park.
Trees Will Be Judged in Three Categories
The Christmas Tree Decorating Competition this years will be judged in three categories plus a People’s Choice category: Best Children’s Tree, Best Florida Tree, Best Traditional Tree, and People’s Choice. A business can win both the judged category and People’s Choice, just as Sal’s Towing won in 2019. Each business sponsor will be assigned a category to keep the categories balanced.
The trees will be on display during the entire event for attendees to view and judge in the People’s Choice category. “The Best” judging, and announcement will take place on Saturday, December 4th before the headliner act performs.
The People’s Choice judging will be ongoing all weekend and tokens will be counted and announced with “The Best” of categories. Businesses are encouraged to be at the award ceremony.
Community Events Getting Back to Normal
The sense of normalcy is finally back to Oakland Park and Jaco Pastorius Park, where most of the events organized by the City are held.
Holiday Village is a free community event, and participants of the Tree Competition are encouraged to promote the tree to clients and associates, friends and family to come out and vote in the People’s Choice category. If you wish to participate, fill out the form provided by the City of Oakland Park and e-mail it to oaklandparkevents@oaklandparkfl.gov.
Attendees of the Holiday Village will vote by placing a token in the voting box located by their favorite tree. Tokens will be given to each person as they arrive at the main entrance.
The Christmas Tree with the most number of tokens is the People’s Choice Winner. Each category winner will receive a trophy and bragging rights.
Join Us to Celebrate Christmas!
The Annual Oakland Park Holiday Village is a family-friendly weekend event at Jaco Pastorius Park. The times are Friday, December 3, 2021 from 5:30 PM to 10:00 PM and Saturday, December 4, 2021 from 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM.
City Commissioners will assist Santa Claus with the official lighting of Oakland Park’s 40-feet tall Christmas Tree at 6:30 p.m. Friday, December 3, 2021 at the park’s Grand Fountain Plaza.
Holiday Village features Artisan & Craft vendors, live entertainment, a Christmas tree decorating competition, visits from Santa each day and other attractions including the Holiday Village Carousel and the Oakland Park Holiday Village Snow Slide. There will be a food court as well as a cash bar for the adults.
