Jamie and Melissa Parker won the $250 cash prize in the 2021 Light Up Our City contest. Once again, the Associated Businesses of Bridgeport, Connect-Bridgeport and Bridgeport Card My Yard are sponsoring the annual holiday lilght contest. It’s fun to see who wins the weekly “Sleighed It” awards – and the ultimate holiday light champion – but the real win is for area families who have so many festive sights to see.

If you want to get in on the action, send your name and home address to julie@connect-bridgeport.com, then start decorating. The contest gets underway Thurs., Dec. 1 – which is Light Up Night in downtown Bridgeport. Weekly, a registered Bridgeport resident will be chosen for the “Sleighed It” award and will receive a free card-my-yard indicating that honor. One of the three weekly winners will be chosen to receive a $300 cash prize.

A map will be created to feature the addresses of those participating in Light Up Our City and distributed via Connect-Bridgeport. There will also be a digital map that can be downloaded so families can take their city holiday light tour at their convenience throughout the holiday season.

Throughout the route, Card My Yard will place random letters which – when combined correctly – will spell out a special message.

“Kids can write down the letters they see along the way and after they have visited all the addresses included on the map, they can take those letters and try to put them in the right order to solve the message,” said Bridgeport Card My Yard owner Jenny Reed.

The letters will be displayed Thurs., Dec. 1 through Sunday, Dec. 4.

Those solving the secret message can email it to Bridgeport@cardmyyard.com. Of correct answers, a winner will be chosen at random to win a Card My Yard gift certificate good for 2023.