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The Oxford Holiday Festival is just around the corner — Dec. 5-6 — and this year, the Oxford Visitors and Convention Bureau is experimenting with a new way to get residents in the holiday spirit: a gingerbread person decorating contest.

The nonprofit competition allows individuals and businesses throughout Oxford to purchase a gingerbread frame created by Barker Ornaments for $25.

So far, Barb Rice and Diana Durr of the Oxford Visitors Center are pleased with the city's participation and enthusiasm in the new contest.

However, the positive reaction may have something to do with the unique way in which they are promoting the competition. The two have been hitting the streets to sell the gingerbread frames with an unlikely guest: Dorothy, accompanied by her yellow brick road.

Oxford Visitors Center staffer Kelly Hohman created Dorothy, who has proved to be the perfect addition in the promotional effort.

"We decided to just go out with Dorothy to promote the contest," Durr said. "She's a great example because she's 3-D, just like the people decorating the gingerbread frame can do."

Participants are encouraged to creatively decorate the frame and display it in a business window for public viewing by Nov. 28. Paints, fabrics, glitter, paper and extra props are all accepted.

Eight judges will then visit participating locations Dec. 3, where they will evaluate the decorating of the gingerbread person on effort, originality, creativity and use of materials.

Winners will be announced Dec. 5 and will receive cash prizes of $100 for first place, $75 for second place and $50 for third place.

"What's neat is we had some businesses contact us as soon as they got our postcard, some that aren't even located directly Uptown," Durr said.

Awaiting the Oxford Holiday Festival, Rice and Durr are focused on executing what Durr calls their goal in promoting the contest. "We wanted to get people talking," she said.