STAUNTON, Va. – The streets of Staunton are now glowing with holiday spirit, thanks to the launch of a new interactive holiday story known as the Holly Holiday Window Walk. This initiative was set in motion by the Staunton Downtown Development Association (SDDA) and debuted on Small Business Saturday, marking the start of the festive season.
The concept for the window walk ties into the city’s annual Christmas parade, which adopts a fresh theme each year. This year, the chosen theme is “Holly Jolly.” Scotty Tiernan, the SDDA’s events and marketing director, drew inspiration from the holly plant, exploring its symbolism to create a narrative that embodies resilience and joy in the community.
The display spans eight businesses along Beverly Street, showcasing panels that take visitors on a journey depicting the growth of a tiny holly plant. The story reflects the varied reactions people have to beauty and growth, highlighting lessons of resilience and community. “You kind of follow this holly plant through growing up as a tiny little plant, and then everybody is kind of in awe of it,” Tiernan explained. “The reaction is varied, some great and some not so friendly, but it teaches us how to grow as a community.”
Visitors can not only admire the artistic displays but also track Holly’s journey online through the SDDA website, which offers further insights into the exhibition.
The overarching theme of community is vital to this story, aiming to foster connections among residents and spark kindness. Tiernan hopes that the holiday window walk will encourage people to come downtown, engage with one another, and spread goodwill. “I want to bring people together and help them remember that we are all humans trying our best,” he added, reflecting on the positive impact he wishes the initiative to have during this season of giving and joy.