Glen Ellyn searching for best Fourth of July decorations in new contest

Glen Ellyn normally puts on a Fourth of July celebration that would make James Cagney's “Yankee Doodle Dandy” burst out in song and dance.

The village is the picture of Main Street USA when the parade winds through a tree-lined downtown and fireworks light up the sky over a neighborhood lake. The spectacle always ends with applause and a shimmering American flag for crowds packing the Glenbard West football stands.

With this summer's festivities lost to the coronavirus, what happens to all that patriotic fervor?

The village's Fourth of July committee is inviting homes and businesses to channel it in a new decorating contest.

“It's one of the village's best events as far as attendance and memories, and so we're trying to just keep the Fourth of July spirit alive,” said Dawn Smith, a committee member and executive director of the Glen Ellyn Chamber of Commerce.

The contest is sure to inspire friendly competition in a village known for its ingenuity and creativity in another canceled contest: The Lake Ellyn Cardboard Boat Regatta.

That means a bunting or two off the front porch won't cut it. But a replica of the Statue of Liberty might be enough to win a contest offering major prizes and bragging rights.

“We hope and anticipate great participation and community pride,” Smith said.

The volunteer-run committee encourages storefronts to show off their star-spangled handiwork to draw foot traffic as they recover from virus shutdowns. Organizers will update a Google map of registered businesses and homes so residents can drive around town to view the displays.

Lifelong resident Diana Martinez came up with the idea in lieu of a parade set apart by its setting in an “All-American, historic, traditional downtown.” Martinez suggested the contest as a way for neighborhoods to still come together in a socially distanced manner.

“We just need something to focus on that's positive that we can put our energy into and have fun with it,” Martinez said.

To enter, displays must be completed and registered at GlenEllyn4thOfJuly.org/patriotic by 8 a.m. June 28.

Committee members will judge the displays and name award winners on July 3. Prizes include tickets to the 2021 Frida Kahlo art exhibition at the College of DuPage, a Glen Ellyn history book, treats from Chocolaterie Stam Glen Ellyn, gift baskets and tickets to the Lake Ellyn Boathouse dock for a rescheduled fireworks show, tentatively set for Labor Day.