Patriotic Home Contest Invites Palisadians to Share Fourth of July Spirit

By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief

Those who deck their halls with all things red, white and blue this Fourth of July will have a chance to take home an assortment of prizes from local businesses.

Residents across all neighborhoods of Pacific Palisades are invited to participate in this year’s Patriotic Home Contest, which is being sponsored by Susan Montgomery as part of Palisades Americanism Parade Association’s Fourth of July festivities.

“You do not have to live near the Village,” Montgomery explained to the Palisadian-Post. “The Highlands, Pacific View Estates … wherever you live in the 90272 zip code, I will drive by and judge your home.”

Montgomery shared that each year, the contest sees entrants who make it a family activity, like grandkids visiting grandparents who encourage them to enter.

“We like decorations where maybe they thought about a message or have something homemade, which we love,” Montgomery added. “We have a lot of new families in the Palisades we’d like to encourage to decorate if they’re going to be in town.”

Each year, contest sponsors and PAPA members traverse through town in a golf cart to view and judge participating homes. They also review submitted photos as part of the judging.

The deadline to enter the contest is July 2 at 5 p.m., according to the Palisades 4th website. Judging will take place on July 3, which is when winners will be notified.

And because Fourth of July falls on a Tuesday, Montgomery encouraged people to enter, even if the decorations would not be complete until July 3, for those who plan to use that last weekend—July 1 and 2—to finish decorating.

Entries can be made via the Palisades 4th website: palisades4th.com/parade/home-contest. They can also be done by emailing Montgomery or by posting a photo on the Palisades 4th Facebook page or via Instagram using #Palisades4thHomeContest.

Prizes will be awarded to the most patriotic homes, including honorable mentions selected by Montgomery and the return of the Joan Sather Memorial Sponsor’s Award.

“She spearheaded this whole thing and it’s turned into a very popular part of the celebration of the Fourth of July,” Montgomery shared of Joan Sather. The two—longtime friends and both Realtors with Sotheby’s International Realty—co-sponsored the event together for years until Sather died in 2022.

“I want to continue to do it to honor Joan,” Montgomery shared of the contest. “I think it’s such a great tradition in the Palisades.”

Montgomery has partnered with Joan’s husband Kent Sather to continue on the tradition of sponsoring the contest. They also worked together in 2022.

“We have lots of great prizes,” Montgomery shared, adding a partial list, which includes Matthew’s Garden Cafe, Casa Nostra, Anawalt Palisades Hardware, Black Ink, Palisades Garden Cafe and more.

“Home is where people create their memories,” Montgomery said. “For people who are here—and especially for those who have small children and grandchildren—it’s a great bonding experience to decorate together.”

Questions about the contest can be directed to Montgomery at susan.montgomery@sothebyshomes.com.