Downtown Bluffton is starting to take on that holiday appearance. On Saturday members of the Bluffton fire department hung Christmas garland.

Seven days earlier the Ream holiday folk art display was placed on the Bluffton Presbyterian Church lawn.

The next holiday preparation is downtown Bluffton business windows.

For the third year, the Bluffton Area Chamber of Commerce offers downtown businesses a chance to win a “traveling trophy” for the next 12 months, based upon their holiday retail window display.

Businesses in the contest are those with holiday garland purchased three seasons ago.

The chamber conducts the downtown window contest and each participating business has one vote. A judging sheet enables business owner to score their top three businesses in eight different categories. The top three total vote getters are this year’s winners.

Businesses will receive their ballots this week. The deadline for voting is Wednesday, Nov. 27. The winners will be announced during the Nov. 30 Blaze of Lights.