ONEIDA — The City of Oneida’s third annual Holiday Light Fight is here to encourage a sense of community this holiday season.

The friendly decoration competition was started in 2020 by Oneida residents Rick and Nicole Rossi, both alumni of Oneida High School. The two are organizing the popular event this year with the help of the Oneida Parks and Recreation Department and the Oneida Library to help expand the contest’s capabilities.

Anyone in the city is welcome to enter into the Light Fight for free, limited to the first 25 entries.

Decorating can include more than just the outside of people’s homes. Apartments, fences, yards, etc. are all acceptable areas to decorate and compete. “We wanted to do something that anybody could participate in,” Nicole Rossi said.

The deadline to enter is 5 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 22. Judging will take place the following day at 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 23.

Contestants will be battling for third, second, and first place titles along with a series of gift cards and a trophy for first place.

AmeriCU and Sherrill Dental Arts donated to the event this year. “We’re using those donations and buying the gift cards from the local businesses instead of having the local businesses donate,” Nicole Rossi explained.

An extensive list of the prizes is as follows:

First place: Trophy, $20 Worthy gift card, $20 Callee 1945 gift card, $20 Bella Vita gift card, $20 Fireside/Sunny’s Kitchen gift card, and $20 Oneida Office Supply gift card;

Second place: $15 Callee 1945 gift card, $15 Bella Vita gift card, and $15 Fireside/Sunny’s Kitchen gift card;

Third place: $10 Callee 1945 gift card, $10 Bella Vita gift card, and $10 Fireside/Sunny’s Kitchen gift card.

Judging will be conducted by a few lucky elementary students and their families along with last year’s winners. “Each elementary school is going to randomly draw one name per school, and that child and their siblings and family will be invited to judge,” Nicole Rossi explained. Joining them will be the Kimball family who won in 2021. To ensure there aren’t the same winners multiple years in a row, the winner is invited to judge the following year but cannot compete.

“The Oneida Bus Garage is providing a bus for us for judging,” Nicole added.

Contest participants must be within Oneida city limits. To enter, email your address to Oneidaforchange@gmail.com.

“By continuing doing this it’s really created a community bond which is kind of nice, because it’s kind of hard to come across that now a days,” Nicole Rossi shared.

For updates on the Light Fight, follow the “Oneida For Change” Facebook page.