Peterborough DBIA Holiday Shopping Passport Initiative Shows Thousands of Dollars Spent Locally
/The Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA) has announced the prize winners of its 2025/2026 Holiday Shopping Passport draw and the Holiday Window Contest, celebrating a season of community connection, local spending and support for downtown Peterborough businesses.
Grand prize winner Katy Shufelt. photo courtesy of the peterborough dbia.
The Holiday Shopping Passport program encourages residents to keep their holiday spending local. Shoppers earn a stamp for every $10 spent at participating businesses and can enter completed passports for a chance to win one of three $500 early bird prizes or the $1,500 grand prize in Boro Gift Cards; “downtown dollars” accepted at over 100 locations throughout downtown Peterborough.
Katy Shufelt has been named the grand prize winner of the Holiday Shopping Passport draw. Three early bird winners were also drawn throughout the season: Wayne Jackson, Gail Edlinger and Kim McWilliams.
The grand prize draw took place on Wednesday at GRVTY Studio in East City, where Shufelt’s completed passport was selected. She has won a $1,500 downtown shopping spree in Boro Gift Cards.
“I absolutely love shopping downtown, there are so many great stores,” she said. “My kids laugh at me because every year I say I’m going to win, and after 20 years, I finally did.”
In the spirit of giving back, Shufelt has chosen to donate a portion of her prize to Wild Rock’s ComPassion Project, a community-driven initiative that supports local organizations working at the intersection of outdoor recreation, social justice and equity in Peterborough.
“The program continues to foster community spirit, increase foot traffic and local spending and strengthen relationships between local businesses and their customers during the busy holiday season,” said the Peterborough DBIA in a press release. “With participation from over 200 downtown businesses, the Holiday Shopping Passport program continues to be one of the DBIA’s most widely supported seasonal initiatives.”
Beyond shopping, the DBIA’s Holiday Window Contest transformed downtown into a festive, walkable winter experience. This year’s theme “Snowglobe Come to Life” inspired businesses to showcase their creativity through elaborate window displays.
