Riverhead Holiday Window Contest Winners Announced

East End Arts shared the winners of its 2012 Downtown Riverhead Holiday Window Decorating Contest on Thursday. The contest, which took place during the month of December, asked participants to fill otherwise empty storefront windows in Downtown Riverhead with festive scenes and imagery to celebrate the holiday season.

The Peconic Community School was this year’s winner and took home a $500 cash prize for their diorama of the Downtown Riverhead area, including the Peconic River, outdoor stage, bridges and gardens.

Last year’s winners, People for Ethical Treatment of Elves (also known as P.E.T.E.) lost their crown in 2012, but the group still walked away with a $100 cash prize and second place for their window featuring the Society of Alien Nonhuman Terrestrial Android CLAUSES, or S.A.N.T.A. CLAUSES. The group donated its prize to a different contestant, New Beginnings Brendan House.

River & Roots Community Garden, won third place and earned six free tickets to the Long Island Aquarium for their painted window, featuring a winter tree lit with white Christmas lights and the word “PEACE” below it.

A total of 10 local groups and businesses entered the contest, including Arctic Foxes, Riverhead artist Bryan Landsberg, Craft Barn at Baiting Hollow, Inverness Gals, LaFace Construction, Occupy Judy & Patti, Peconic Community School, People for the Ethical Treatment of Elves, River & Roots Community Garden and the Riverhead High School Interact Club. Public voting was held at the East End Arts Gallery from December 2-20 and the winning display was first announced on Thursday, December 27 at a Riverhead Town Board work session. The Town Board donated the event’s cash prizes and the Long Island Aquarium donated tickets for the third place prize.

East End Arts was established in 1972. It is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit arts organization that operates a Community School of the Arts and an art gallery, and presents a variety of events and programs to promote the arts year-round. Proceeds from events, sales, classes, donations and memberships benefit the mission and commitment to building and enriching the East End community through the arts by way of education, support, advocacy and inspiration.