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VIDALIA, La. — Though Christmas comes once a year, only once every other December does the Vidalia Garden Club recognize those with the best traditional and non-traditional holiday decorations to fill the town with Christmas spirit.

VGC President Cindy Galloway said this is because judging the competition is a big undertaking for the garden club, which has about 18 members, as the number of Vidalia residents who decorate for Christmas grows.

“It gets to be a bit much and we’re limited in our members,” she said. “But we do this as our way of saying thanks to residents for showing Christmas spirit by way of decorating their yards and houses. The participation has been growing and we’re very encouraged by that.”

The garden club is again having its biennial Christmas lighting contest this year, chaired by garden club member Angie Knapik.

Its open to anyone in the town limits of Vidalia. All houses should be fully decorated by Dec. 18. Judges comprised of VGC members will announce winners on Dec. 21.

These winners will have a sign placed in their yard and receive a small gift.

There will be a first and second-place winner and an honorable mention each for the traditional and non-traditional categories.

“Traditional designs exclude inflatables but inflatables are acceptable in the non-traditional category,” Galloway said.

“Creativity, imagination, and family fun are encouraged as lawn decorations are designed and displayed throughout town,” Knapik said. “Religious scenes or toy soldiers, Santa and his reindeer, snowmen, and colorful gift boxes, Christmas trees of bright lights and garlands of greenery — no matter the style — all are included in the judging.”

The Vidalia Garden Club welcomes anyone interested in becoming new members, added Gallaway. The club is behind a lot of gardening projects in the town throughout the year, including decorating the town with flower beds and flags.

“We have the Beauty of Life Garden that highlights breast cancer awareness … and we’re planning to add to that in the spring. We also sponsor a lot of planting around Vidalia with the assistance of (town) employees. Each year we plant a tree on Arbor Day and we’ve planted poppies along the Vidalia Riverfront. We replace the flags in front of the old courthouse every year, a project we picked up when the Concordia Parish Police Jury stopped doing it. Around the Blue Star memorial, we select the plants to go into the new hanging baskets and around Memorial Day we put up American flags.”

All of this is funded by caladium sales, which the VGC does each spring, Gallaway said.

The Christmas lighting contest is one of the few seasonal activities VGC hosts that encourages residents to become part of making the town beautiful. Another is “Yard of the Month,” which VGC recognizes during the growing season, from about April to September.

“We work hand in hand with the Beautification Committee and Vidalia Women’s Club on a lot of things. We’re big proponents of working together. We’re not in competition,” she said.

For anyone interested in joining the Vidalia Garden Club, the club meets at 4 p.m. on the second Wednesday of each month, except in summer, at the Vidalia Convention Center Jim Bowie Room.

“Anyone interested and willing to contribute to these projects is welcome,” Gallaway said. “Anyone can come as a guest and if they would like to join the club, dues are $15 a year.”

Follow the Vidalia Garden Club on social media for news updates, as well as gardening tips and horticulture hints, she added.