Photo courtesy of Krista Bjella The Bjella family’s home, with lighted characters on the front porch, was the first place winner in the inaugural Colors of Winter decorating contest in Marshall this year.

MARSHALL — Marshall residents went all-out in a new holiday light contest this year. On Friday, organizers announced the top three winners out of 25 entries in the Colors of Winter decorating contest.

Placing first in the contest was the Bjella family home on Horizon Drive. The Jiskoot family home, also on Horizon Drive, placed second. The Stolp Family Light Show, at the Stolp home on Williams Street, placed third.

It was good to see the number of households taking part in the Colors of Winter contest’s first year, said Marshall Festivals committee member Marc Klaith.

“We think that’s a success. Next year, we hope we keep building on it,” Klaith said. With donation money from contest entries, organizers were able to raise $500 for Lyon County Heart to Heart, and $500 for Prairie Home Hospice and Community Care.

Contest winners said they also had fun being part of the event.

“I think my daughters were probably the most excited,” Brian Bjella said of learning their home won first place. The Bjella family all joined in on planning the decorations. “It’s been kind of a tradition for our family for a while.”

Each of the three contest winners had a different style to their decorations. The Jiskoot family put multicolored lights on their house as well as on trees in their yard. Features like lighted candy canes and an inflatable polar bear rounded things out.

“We’ve decorated like this for the last few years,” Justin Jiskoot said. Around the COVID pandemic, the Jiskoots “went big” on holiday decorations, and then kept it going, he said.

The Stolp family not only decorated their home, but turned it into a light show. Decorations and strings of different colored lights blinked on and off in patterns.

Brian Bjella said his daughters decorated the family’s front porch with a display of lighted characters like a nutcracker, Santa Claus and his sleigh, and more. Red and white lights on the rest of the house helped continue the theme.

Winners said it was fun to be part of the contest, and to see all the different entries around town.

“It was neat to see everyone participating,” Jiskoot said.

“It’s a fun event for a great cause,” Bjella said. “A lot of people took it to heart.”