The participants
Who's lighting up downtown
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Decorate for the holidays and compete for cash prizes.
How it works
Register your downtown business by November 23 at 12 PM, then get decorating. Every display must be up and lit by Friday, November 27.
Register nowVoting opens with the DBA Holiday Tree Lighting on November 27, so your display needs to be lit by then. Neighbors vote once a day.
Judges visit every participating business between 5 and 8 PM on both nights. Keep your lights on during those hours.
Prizes are awarded at the January DBA meeting. Keep an eye on the DBA Facebook page for more details on the January meeting.
Every display needs to be lit by Friday, November 27. Grab your lights and show downtown Wilmington what you've got.
The participants
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The lineup
The district with the highest share of participating businesses wins Most Decked Out District.
Compete for cash
$250
Runner up: $100
$250
Runner up: $100
$100
Runner up: $100
Have your patrons vote!
The Downtown District with the highest percentage of business participation will get the honorary title of Most Decked Out District of 2026!
What are you competing for?
Best in GlowThis category awards the most vibrant, well-lit display that truly stands out.
Judges will be looking for:
Downtown SpiritAwarded to the display that best represents the community and holiday spirit of Downtown Wilmington.
Judges will be looking for:
People's ChoiceAwarded to the display that receives the highest number of votes cast by the Wilmington community.
Who can participate?
Battle of the Bulbs is open to any business with a physical location in downtown Wilmington. Whether you go all-out with thousands of lights or create something simple and creative, we want to see downtown businesses get into the holiday spirit!
Registration opens Monday, November 2 and closes Monday, November 23 at 12 PM.
Businesses must register by the deadline to participate in Battle of the Bulbs.
Once registered, businesses can start getting their holiday displays ready. This is your chance to get creative, show off your personality, and bring some holiday glow to downtown Wilmington.
Judges will visit participating businesses during the judging period:
Wednesday–Thursday, December 9–10
Judges will select winners based on the official Battle of the Bulbs judging criteria.
Voting opens at the DBA Holiday Tree Lighting on Friday, November 27 and will remain open through Monday, January 4.
Battle of the Bulbs winners will be announced at the DBA meeting on January 11, 2027. Keep an eye on the DBA Facebook page for more details on the January meeting.
For Best in Glow and Downtown Spirit, judges will select their favorite business for each category. The businesses with the first and second most votes for each category will be selected as the Winner and Runner-Up. Businesses that won last year's awards are encouraged to participate, but are not eligible to win in the same category.
For People's Choice, the business with the highest number of votes cast on this site will win People's Choice. The businesses with the first and second most votes for this category will be selected as the Winner and Runner-Up.
For Decked Out District, the district with the highest percentage of participating businesses will be granted the honorary title of Decked Out District.
Downtown businesses, this is your chance to go all out for the holidays. Grab your lights, get creative, and show downtown Wilmington what you've got.
Stay in the loop
Join the Downtown Business Alliance email list for voting reminders, event news and the winner announcement.
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The Downtown Business Alliance of Wilmington is a non-profit organization whose mission is to support and strengthen the downtown community by providing value through advocacy, programs, education, and events allowing all businesses the opportunity to grow and thrive. We are a membership-based organization with general membership annual dues of $50.
Meetings are the second Monday of each month at various locations. Check the newsletter or our social media for upcoming meetings!