Maker's Mark Wants to Give Your Small Town a $100K Holiday Makeover

And lights, and ornaments, and maybe some plastic Santas.

A quaint town decorated in holiday lights.
Maker's Mark
Maker's Mark

Kentucky bourbon purveyor Maker’s Mark is honoring its small town roots this holiday season with a contest to celebrate yours. 

Maker’s Small Town, Bright Lights competition invites residents of small towns across America, or just the people who love them, to enter their jurisdiction for a chance to win a local holiday display worth an approximate retail value of $100K. 

"We've been crafting Maker's Mark Bourbon in our small town of Loretto, Ky. since my grandparents' vision led to the creation of Maker's Mark more than 60 years ago," Rob Samuels, Maker's Mark chief distillery officer is quoted as saying in a press release. "It's safe to say we have a soft spot for all the little things that make small towns special, including an undeniably strong sense of community. In a year that's been filled with challenges for a lot of people, we know that's never been more important, and we want to finish the year by celebrating some good. We can't wait to hear about remarkable towns from every corner of the country."

To enter, post a public photo of your chosen town to Twitter or Instagram and explain why it was particularly remarkable this year in 280 characters or less. Then tag @makersmark and add #MakeItRemarkable. For reference, the paragraph you are reading right now is 280 characters. 

So, what makes a town remarkable in 2020? Maybe you collectively agreed to cool it with the negative Yelp reviews during the pandemic. Maybe everybody wears a mask. Maybe every eligible citizen has a voting plan. That’s for you to tell Maker’s in order to score a real life holiday dream scene replete with lights and glittering decorations galore. 

Entrants must be 21 or over and must submit nominations from November 2-13. "Small town" is up for interpretation rather than adhering to population or acreage, reps told Thrillist. A panel of Maker’s Mark appointed judges will choose a winner based in part on “Special nature of location (40%); Creativity (35%); [and] Relevance to theme (25%),” according to the contest’s official rules. The winner should expect to be notified by the end of November. 

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