In 1965, the Peanuts gang found the true meaning of Christmas in the animated television special “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” In 2017, a gang of Edgecomb residents also found the Christmas spirit by sponsoring their first Charlie Brown Christmas Tree Contest. And on Dec. 6, Edgecomb held its second contest which included an expanded number of categories.

This year, 12 entrants competed in five categories compared to four from 2017. The categories included funniest looking, most interesting, most ecologically friendly, most interesting, most original and best of show. This year’s bigger winner was Mrs. Brown’s sixth grade class at Edgecomb Eddy School. Other winners included Edgecomb Fire Department, funniest looking; Edgecomb Community Church, most interesting theme; Cod Cove Inn; most ecologically friendly; and Skip Cahill Tire; most original.

Edgecomb’s Economic Development Committee created the contest in hopes of lighting up Route 27 with Christmas and community spirit. The committee is on hiatus, but last year’s contest was so successful, volunteers continued the event for another year. Volunteers Barbara Brennan, Lisa McSwain and Rev. Kate Pinkham organized this year’s event and Selectman Mike Smith donated trees for the contest.

Judges were Edgecomb Postmaster Bruce Harford, Edgecomb resident Ramone Hanley-Warren and Bill Pearson of the Boothbay Register. Participants included the Edgecomb Community Church, Cod Cove Inn, Skip Cahill Tire, Edgecomb Historical Society,  The Coastal Dog and several Edgecomb Eddy School classrooms.

On Dec. 6 and 7, the participants decorated trees. On Dec. 7, judges arrived at the town hall and reviewed all entrants. Following the judging, around 6 p.m. residents attended a ceremony inside the town hall and enjoyed cider and baked goods and sang holiday-themed songs while awaiting the judges’ decisions.