Virginia Beer Museum hosts ‘Ugly Christmas Sweater’ competition to raise the holiday ‘spirits’

You didn’t have to be a beer drinker to enjoy the Virginia Beer Museum’s ‘Ugly Christmas Sweater’ Contest on Friday night. Royal Examiner Photos/Roger Bianchini

It was fun for all ages at Front Royal’s Virginia Beer Museum’s “Ugly Christmas Sweater” contest Friday evening, December 20th on Chester Street. A highly competitive campaign to show the sheer ugliness and/or bad taste in Christmas attire saw the top three places go to Victoria Stemmer, Susan Bantawan and Alec Tweedie.

Tweedie’s third place attire was an impressive walking Christmas Tree hoodie sweater – but who wants to see a spangled tree coming for them? – It may not have liked what you’ve placed under it OR the fact you cut it down to do so? Or as the tree itself described its look, “A rancid, disgusting Christmas tree” met with chants of “Chop it Down!!!” (That’s three exclamation points for third place)

From left, third-place ugly tree Alec Tweedie, first place bored reindeer sweater bearer Victoria Stemmer, and second place ‘Naughty & Nice’ antlered and flashing Susan Bantawan.

However, Tweedie’s somewhat frightening bad taste was outdistanced by Bantawan’s “Naughty & Nice” grandmama look and winner Stemmer’s somewhat explicit reindeer party sweater.

Hey, sometimes it gets boring waiting for Santa to get back to the roof after a delivery, especially when he stops for milk and cookies, and sometimes a kiss from an appreciative mom, along the way.

While Santa didn’t place, he appeared to enjoy himself, along with a full house of seasonably bedecked elves and what not

The excited winner and sometime Beer Museum Helltown Saloon bartender exuded after her win, “Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from the Beer Museum, with love – and thank you, mom” (Mama don’t raise no losers).

Beer Museum patrons provided a wide and tasty variety of food for the occasion; and Helltown Saloon barkeep for the event Jennifer Mulligan kept holiday festive history of Virginia craft beer connoisseurs informed about their refreshment options, as well as potential consequences of any “Ugly Sweater” campaign violations as contestants and their supporters maneuvered for the cash prizes.

And in the spirit of the season, Beer Museum ownership handed out Christmas gift certificates as the evening was winding down.

There were many choices of questionably designed Christmas attire to cast a vote for – and the campaigning was intense.

First place Stemmer collects her winnings

And second-place’s Bantawan didn’t go home empty handed either