LOVELAND, Ohio — The city of Loveland has thrown its holiday spirit into a national competition, submitting an entry for Hallmark Media’s Merriest Christmas Towns contest and asking residents to add their own nominations to boost the city’s chances.
The city said in a Facebook post that entries highlighting Loveland’s festive events, decorations and small-town charm could help make the case for the title, which the city has tied to its identity as the self-declared "Sweetheart of Ohio."
The nationwide search, launched July 1 by Hallmark Media, invites nominations from towns that embody "warmth, connection, community spirit, holiday tradition, neighborhood charm and goodwill," according to the contest’s official rules. Entrants can submit photos, videos and a letter describing their community’s holiday traditions through Aug. 10, with public voting running from Aug. 14 through Sept. 4.
Twenty-five towns nationwide will be named official Hallmark Christmas Towns and receive a seal and promotional materials to mark the designation, the contest rules state. One grand-prize town will be featured in an upcoming Hallmark original movie.
Loveland has carried the "Sweetheart of Ohio" nickname for decades, rooted in a local post office tradition of hand-stamping Valentine’s Day cards with a heart-shaped cancellation reading "There is nothing in this world so sweet as Love." The Loveland Area Chamber of Commerce has run the Valentine’s Day program, including a poetry contest and a volunteer "Valentine Lady" who stamps thousands of envelopes by hand, every year since 1972.
The city’s holiday calendar has grown alongside that reputation. Downtown Loveland hosts an annual Festival of Lights along Fourth Street, and the city stages a Christmas Tree Lighting Festival in Historic Downtown Loveland centered on a 60-foot tree strung with thousands of lights, typically capped with a drone show. A separate Christmas in Loveland event brings horse-drawn carriage rides, a holiday market and a live nativity scene downtown each December.
Residents who want to submit their own nomination on Loveland’s behalf can do so through the link the city shared on its Facebook page.
The information contained in this story was obtained from the City of Loveland.