Main Street Mt. Pleasant holds virtual Cinco De Mayo celebration

MT. PLEASANT - While the coronavirus pandemic has halted gatherings and parties, the businesses of Mt. Pleasant didn't allow it to affect their Cinco De Mayo celebrations.

Instead of a Ladies Night Out, Main Street Mt. Pleasant encouraged local residents to join in on an evening of fun from the safety of their homes.

Lisa Oetken, director of Main Street Mt. Pleasant, said retailers have gotten very creative about how to reach local customers. A Ladies Night was originally scheduled for August, but with closures and restrictions set on businesses due to the virus, the event was pushed up and held virtually.

'People are tired of just staying in their homes,” Oetken said.

Stores from around the square collaborated to put together mystery prize packages for purchase. In addition to the packages, the stores also offered items that were raffled off during the livestreamed event on Tuesday evening. During the stream, store owners lead tours through their stores to give customers an idea of what can be purchased should they want to come in.

Oetken said the 75 gift items sold out 'very quickly.” So many people were interested that the group had to compile a wait-list in case any additional packages were assembled.

'I think it's been really great. We've always had the mantra ‘Shop local, shop small.' It really has come in vogue and people are supporting local businesses,” Oetken said of the community's response.

Heather Leichty, owner of Your Dream Home Furniture and Floors, who helped come up with the idea for the event, said the planning for the Cinco De Mayo celebration began just two weeks ago.

'I don't think we've ever launched anything this fast,” she said.

With how quickly packages sold and the popularity of the event, the Main Street team are already looking into more virtual events like their Cinco De Mayo celebration.

'We've had a great outpouring from the community. Typically, when we do events like this, there's a big expense to retailers. It's nice to give a good deal to our customers and have them support us back. It's good for everybody,” she said.