While we still have a stop at turkey town along the way, the road to Christmas in Dowagiac officially begins this weekend, as the Greater Dowagiac Chamber of Commerce hosts its annual Christmas Open House Weekend.

Taking place today through Sunday, the open house weekend is the first of the chamber’s three-part Christmas Celebration, which continues with Small Business Saturday on Nov. 28, and wraps up with the annual Candle-light Christmas Parade on Friday, Dec. 4.

As with previous years, the focus on the open house weekend will be on the plethora of local businesses residing in downtown Dowagiac and beyond. Participating shops will be open for extended hours on Friday, open until 7 p.m.; they will offer regular shop hours on Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and will be open on Sunday from noon to 4 p.m.

Local shopkeepers will also be offering guests special discounts, treats and drawings as they unveil their selection of holiday products.

While many continue to flock toward big box retailers to purchase holiday gifts in mass for friends and family, we feel this weekend is a good time for the community to rally around the stores that comprise the backbone of our city. Instead of traveling out of town to pick up some gifts for under the tree this year, we encourage readers to save some time, gas and energy and visit participating retailers over the next few days

Compared to the mad rush of people that swarm malls and other large shopping destinations this time of winter, downtown shops offer a quieter buying experience, where you don’t have to devote an entire day toward wading through throngs of other frantic buyers or waiting in massive lines just to check out a few things. Instead, you can look around the store at your leisure, and also get some personal help from the people working there.

Dowagiac also offers a variety of different antique and craft stores, so instead of settling for buying a mass produced movie or sweater, you can buy your loved ones gifts that are truly one-of-a-kind.

And finally, a good reason for buying local goes back to a refrain we stress as often as possible — by spending your money back home, you ensure that your dollars remain back home. And the more money that gets poured into the community, the more money that gets poured back into the community.

So, instead of packing the kids inside the van and hitting the road this weekend, save yourself the stress and a take a stroll in town. We guarantee you’ll like what you see.

 

Opinions expressed are those of the editorial board consisting of Publisher Michael Caldwell and editors Ambrosia Neldon, Craig Haupert, Ted Yoakum and Scott Novak.