PCDC Spreads Holiday Cheer with GO! SPARKLE Lighting Grants

PCDC is spreading holiday cheer again this year with the GO! SPARKLE grant program.

Businesses can apply to receive up to a $250 matching grant to enhance or expand exterior holiday lighting for Christmas or other holidays. 

The program supports a growing national trend: holiday décor matters to shoppers. According to a study by the National Retail Federation, 90 percent of shoppers say holiday decorations influence where they choose to shop. 

Studies show that festive lighting influences store choice, encourages customers to spend more, and boosts the emotional connection with a brand. For communities like Phelps County, adding sparkle can mean adding economic vitality.

The grants may also be applied toward permanent year-round exterior lighting.

This is the second year of the GO! SPARKLE grant program. In 2025, four businesses, Bridal Isle and Hide-A-Way Salon in Loomis and 308 Bakery and My Fair Lady Fashions and Frills in Holdrege, received grants.

At Bridal Isle, owner Karla Axtell used the grant to add greenery and lights trimmed with small red bows around the windows, wreaths above the outdoor lights, and large lighted bulbs filled with ornaments that Axtell and her team hand-painted red and gold.

For Margaret Kring, the GO! Sparkle program provided the spark for a refreshed holiday theme at her downtown Holdrege boutique, My Fair Lady’s Fashions and Frills.

“When I saw the information on this, it gave me the impetus to think of something new to do,” Kring said. 

The grant helped her line store windows with lights and anchor them with two glowing lamp posts, a bench draped with a red throw, a whimsical oversized mug of hot chocolate, and mannequins dressed in festive fashions. She continued the look inside with the holiday theme: “Sights, Sounds and Styles of the Season.”

To apply for a GO! Sparkle grant, visit https://www.phelpscountyne.com/media/userfiles/subsite_82/files/GO!%20SPARKLE%20Application.pdf or contact Sally Sadd at Sally@PhelpsCountyNE.com.