The 2026 FIFA World Cup final ended in extra time. Spain defeated Argentina 1–0 after substitute Ferran Torres scored the winning goal in the 106th minute at MetLife Stadium. But Acton announced an official winner of the Town’s “United by Soccer” Storefront Decorating Contest on Tuesday, August 4, without needing extra time. The Town held a citation ceremony honoring Great Spaces, Inc. as the winner.

Three businesses made it to the finals. Great Spaces covered its windows with flags for “Unifying Communities.” Dunkin transformed its interior into “Around the World at Dunkin.” And Not Your Average Joe’s hand-painted soccer scenes across its glass for “Not Your Average World Cup.”

Judges scored each entry from 1 to 5 points in five categories, creativity, visual impact, theme interpretation, craftsmanship, and use of storefront, for a total of up to 25 points. Full disclosure: I was one of the four judges who scored the contest entries. The other judges were Elizabeth Ames, Ruth Bendig, and Zannah Noe. The judges were chosen by Patricia Costa, Acton’s economic development director.

Dawn Willis, who leads the Great Spaces kitchen and bath design team, said, “As designers, we love opportunities to tell a story visually. Our World Cup-themed window celebrated the idea that while we all come from different places and speak different languages, we’re united by shared experiences—and in this case, one beautiful game.”

Willis, a designer and design project manager in the building/construction industry, and her team have worked on hundreds of residential and commercial projects across New England, drawing on backgrounds in engineering and in kitchen and bath interior design. The firm describes its role as a liaison between general contractors and homeowners, managing the design side of a project so communication and productivity keep moving and stress stays down for everyone involved. That same instinct for pulling different pieces into one coherent whole showed up in “Unifying Communities,” which turned the flags of the World Cup’s competing nations into a single storefront statement about community.

Willis added, “We’re grateful to the Town of Acton for hosting this wonderful community event and are honored to have our display recognized. Thank you for encouraging an event that created fun conversations and a great sense of community!”

Alissa Nicol, chair of the Acton Select Board; Patricia Costa; Nick LaCascia, the Town’s economic development outreach assistant; and a couple of members of the judging panel, attended the presentation, along with Melissa Fetherhoff of the Nashoba Valley Chamber of Commerce. The ceremony was held at Great Spaces’ storefront at 245 Arlington Street.

Costa said, “The FIFA World Cup is a special occasion when people around the globe celebrate a shared passion. While fans cheer for different teams, they are united by the same excitement. It is a reminder that diversity and unity can thrive together when we rally around a common purpose. The same is true when we think about the Acton business community, which reflects a rich tapestry of cultures through the entrepreneurs who own our businesses, the customers they serve, the diverse workforce, and the global supply chains that stock the stores in town. Diversity creates opportunities and the Acton community has demonstrated its ability to embrace these opportunities and transform them into strengths.”

Costa added, “I am grateful to the businesses that participated in the contest and to our jury panel, whose varied professional expertise and personal backgrounds reflect the spirit of this campaign. All those who got involved demonstrated that our differences are among our greatest strengths and that, by working toward a common goal, we can build a stronger community and a more thriving economic scene.”

Fetterhoff said, “Congratulations to Great Spaces on this well-deserved recognition. We love seeing the Town of Acton’s Economic Development Office think outside the box with creative initiatives like the Window Display Contest that bring businesses together, encourage community engagement, and showcase everything that makes Acton special.”

Fetterhoff added, “We’re proud to partner with the Town in promoting opportunities like this to our members, and it’s especially exciting to see Chamber member Great Spaces recognized for their creativity and community spirit. Congratulations to everyone who participated in making this such a fun and successful community initiative.”

Each of the three final entries shone in different ways. Great Spaces had a strong, painted message, “Different Flags, Different Languages, One Beautiful Game,” that connected to the contest’s “United by Soccer” theme and took advantage of the building’s entire window space. Dunkin’s display had a high visual impact with a display that turned the restaurant’s interior into a celebration involving staff, balloons, and a trophy case. Not Your Average Joe’s display demonstrated creativity with freehand painted soccer players and action scenes that wrapped around the corner of the building.

The panel’s combined scoring put Great Spaces on top.

The citation ceremony gave Acton a chance to see the storefront once more before the decorations came down for good. Residents could stop by 245 Arlington Street and see for themselves what a beautiful game, and a well-executed storefront, can do for a commercial block in West Acton.

LaCascia concluded, “It’s great to see the Acton business community come together for some friendly competition and engage with residents. The Office has a slate of opportunities for businesses to continue this community outreach over the next several months, from the ‘Great Road Stroll’ to Shop Local events.”

Greg Jarboe is a member of the Acton Finance Committee and the Public Works Facility Committee. His judging of the World Cup storefront competition was independent of any of his committee roles. He writes for the Acton Exchange about a variety of  community concerns and interests.