Holiday on Main brings the cheer

BY BRYCE KELLY

Mt. Pleasant News

Despite the chill and the dusting of snow that found its way to Mt. Pleasant on Saturday, Holiday on Main went off for another year without a hitch, according to officials.

?It?s cold and we?ve got a little snow, but we?ve got a lot going on and I think people will enjoy themselves,? said Lisa Oetken, of the Mt. Pleasant Chamber. ?I think it?s going to be a good night.?

As part of the event, many businesses and shops were open for extended hours, while a myriad of carolers, musicians, and even Santa himself dropped by to greet and entertain locals.

?This is just a great way to get people to explore our downtown,? said Oetken. ?We have a lot of great shops and vendors where people can get some Christmas shopping done.?

Among those who decided to drop by to do their holiday shopping was Char Jones, a newcomer to Mt. Pleasant. Jones, who recently moved to town from the Cedar Rapids area said she is a ?pro at procrastination? - especially when doing her yearly holiday shopping.

?Yes, I am that person that?s usually doing all her shopping two or three days before Christmas,? Jones chuckled. ?I?m new to town and I thought this would be a good way to see the different shops in the area. There?s a lot of unique places to shop here, and I did find a few things to check off my shopping list, so I?m already ahead of the game this year.?

Among the many business owners who decided to open their shop for the event were two antique store owners who are also new to the area. Ken and Joy Wagler recently opened an antiques and collectibles shop on South Jefferson Street. The shop officially opened on Dec. 1, but the couple, who moved to the area from the Quad Cities, said the shop had a ?soft opening? as they are still in the process of installing their official sign and getting their shop organized before they do an official ribbon cutting and grand opening.

?For being new and not having our sign up yet, business tonight has been good,? said Joy. ?The other antique businesses have been good to direct people down to us, which is really nice.?

Ken said he is pleased to have had the shop open in time for Holiday on Main, as it has been a good way to get to know the people of the community and show off the shop?s merchandise.

?Everyone that has come in has been very nice,? he said. ?We?ve lived in the Quad Cities for about 30 years, but I?m from Mt. Pleasant. The type of thing that?s happening tonight is the kind of small-town thing we are looking forward to doing more of.?

According to Vicki Messer and the rest of the vendors of the Mt. Pleasant Farmer?s Market, business was a little slower than what they were hoping for during the first hour of Holiday on Main, but they were confident things would start to pick up as the evening progressed. The Mt. Pleasant Farmer?s Market set up shop with a myriad of homemade baked goods and crafts on the square.

?Things are a little slow right now,? said Messer. ?But, I think once the evening gets going, we?ll see more and more people stop by. We?re starting to get people who are shopping around, but it?s just been a little slower here at the start.?

Among the various longtime locals who turned out for the event was Mt. Pleasant resident, Dave Heaton. Heaton, who brought his dog along with him to watch ice skaters at the ice rink, said he was happy to see a solid turnout Saturday night.

?I think this is great,? said Heaton, who said the cold didn?t seem to deter too many. ?It?s great to see stuff like this downtown and everybody out here enjoying themselves.?