When looking for the perfect Christmas touch for her business, Eileen Cramer, co-owner of Le Salon & Spa, came to one conclusion: a giant gingerbread house.

Painted on the front of her salon is one very large gingerbread residence, as well as smiling gingerbread people, who she said have really helped to ring in the holiday.

"We love to decorate here," Cramer said. "We thought [the gingerbread house] would be a such a cute idea."

Cramer said she hopes her shop's unique and religiously neutral idea will be a strong contender for winning State College's first window-decorating contest for businesses of Happy Valley.

"We usually decorate a lot for Christmas, and when they asked us if we wanted to do the competition, we thought, 'why not?' " Cramer said.

The contest features 23 different stores that have dressed their storefront windows with holiday decorations.

The competition was initiated by the State College Downtown Improvement District in hopes that it will bring more holiday merriment to the town for both the workers and customers, Teresa Sparacino, Downtown Improvement District director, said.

"We hope the businesses have fun with it. We also hope it will be successful and grow, so we can do it again next year," Sparacino said. "It's just something fun and different for the holidays."

The contest will be judged by customers through a popularity vote.

Customers vote by filling out a ballot located in each participating store and then taking it to the Downtown Improvement District for entry, Sparacino said.

The store that wins the most votes will be receiving free advertising space.

There is a bonus for those who chose to participate. Sparacino said that each individual who fills out a ballot will be entered into a lottery and will be eligible to win 200 dollars in gift certificates for stores downtown.

"I'm very competitive, vote for me!" said Kristen Piano, optical sales associate at Spectacles, 138 W. College Ave.

Piano said the store's display, which she helped to assemble, took three days to complete and flaunts a Christmas tree adorned with eyewear as well as stockings featuring glitter with different brand names sold in the store.

"We usually put up some decorations in our window for Christmas, but the competition made us get into it more," Piano said.

Other displays include a sparkling white garland display at Tadpole Crossing, 101 E. Beaver Ave., large ornamented Christmas trees at Penn State Downtown Theatre Center, 146 S. Allen St., and a winter light display intermixed with pottery at the Creative Oasis, 133 E. Beaver Ave.

Cramer said she agrees that the decorating has really made a positive impact for shoppers, and she encourages people to make a trip to town, enjoy the atmosphere and vote.

"[The competition] is a good idea, I think the downtown really needs that, and it's good for business," Cramer said.

Also, she said she feels the effort to decorate is worthwhile, as her customers seem to really appreciate the extra holiday flare in her shop.

"They all just truly, truly love it," Cramer said.

Laura Otchy (freshmen-division of undergraduate studies) said she feels that the competition and holiday decorations bring an enjoyable Christmas aura to the town.

"Its so much fun walking downtown with all the decorations and the competition," Otchy said. "It's spirited, and I like that."

Otchy said she agrees that the extra holiday flair in the window displays makes shopping much more interesting. She added that it may also be a good sales tactic.

"I definitely am more interested in going into a store with decorations," Otchy said.