After staff and volunteer judges reviewed some 10 festive downtown storefronts, the Downtown Santa Barbara Improvement Association (DSBIA) has selected the winners of the annual Downtown Halloween Decor Contest.

“The competition was stiff, but three businesses stood out for their exceptional holiday spirit,” DSBIA said.

1st Place — 33 Jewels, 814 State St. Owner Diane Garmendia designed a detailed fall foliage display. “The colorful, hand-curated pieces were expertly blended with spooky elements such as a skull, pitchfork, and eerie crows,” DSBIA said.

2nd Place — The Red Piano, 519 State St. The “frightful and interactive” display featured hanging bats, giant spiders, skeletons and zombies. “The Red Piano created a truly memorable, chilling scene,” judges said.

3rd Place — Art & Soul, 1323 State St. Art & Soul gallery secured a top spot with a display featuring a skeleton painting on an easel, surrounded by tombstones marked with witty quotes such as “Art never dies,” and “All art is immortal.”

The three winners each received a framed certificate recognizing their outstanding effort.

The following runners-up were recognized for their spirited participation:

4th Place — Santa Barbara Pizza House, 515 State St.
5th Place — Cleopatra Ink Tattoo & Piercing, 619 State St.
6th Place — Renaissance Fine Consignment, 1118 State St.
Honorable Mention — The Unity Gift Shoppe, 1209 State St.