Oglethorpe County is kicking off the holiday season with several events that highlight small, local businesses. From handmade crafts at The Christmas Marketplace and Small Business Saturday to Christmas in Oglethorpe and the Christmas concert, residents are encouraged to shop small and celebrate the holidays as a community.
As the holiday season begins so does holiday shopping.
Oglethorpe County is getting into the spirit with several holiday events that encourage residents to shop local and support small businesses.
“They (small businesses) put a lot of character and a lot of love and thought into the things that they do,” said Linda Horton, owner of Frosty Designs and a vendor at The Christmas Marketplace. “And I’d rather buy from someone like that than just a big corporation, just going in and purchasing something from somebody like that, it just means more to me.”
The Christmas Marketplace, an annual three-day event featuring local vendors, is the first event that gives residents the opportunity to shop locally this holiday season.
It will be held at the Crawford Depot in Crawford on Nov. 21-23. The event is hosted by the Oglethorpe County Chamber of Commerce.
“I really enjoy seeing what new ideas people have with new crafts and things that they come up with and do, because everybody has a vision of their own of what to do with something,” Horton said.
The marketplace, started by former Lexington Mayor and Goodness Grows owner Rick Berry when he was a member of the Chamber of Commerce, includes 20-30 booths, inside and outside the depot, with vendors selling holiday goods and food.
“We just don’t want anything too commercial or too offensive,” Linda Parish said. “It says that on the applications — we shouldn’t have something that we wouldn't approve of, and we like for the things to be more handmade.”
Booth prices range from $55 to $120 depending on the size, product and location.
“It’s a real community thing,” Parish said. “I get to see people, sometimes I only see them there once a year, coming in and out, and a lot of them will bid on things at the silent auction.”
Horton, in her second year at the marketplace, sells baked goods and crafts. She said her most popular item is her cakes, and this year her booth will be outside on the Depot’s porch on Friday and Saturday.
“Small businesses, they work really hard to put out the products that they do, and they put a lot of time and effort into what they're doing,” Horton said. “And there’s a lot of love and dedication in there.”
Santa visits for photos, and a silent auction is held on Sunday benefiting the chamber. Vendors can donate items like baked goods, gift baskets or seasonal décor for the auction.
Event hours are 5-8 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and noon-5 p.m. Sunday.
Small Business Saturday
Small Business Saturday, which also occurs nationally, will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 29 in Lexington and will feature pop-up shops at Parish’s store, Local Color, at 202 W. Main St.
The event gives local businesses the opportunity to promote themselves.
“There’s a lot in this county that people have no ideas here,” Parish said. “We’re doing all we can to get people to come out and shop small.”
Christmas in Oglethorpe
Christmas in Oglethorpe will be held from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Dec. 13 at the Lexington Community Center.
“We have the vendors, you know, people come again — it’s like the marketplace — buying their Christmas gifts, and visiting with their friends,” Parish said. “It's just a community thing.”
The event moved from the courthouse to the community center three years ago due to weather issues and the tree there that was used for a tree lighting ceremony was cut down due to disease. A tree growing in Meson Park, across the street from the community center, is decorated for the event by Gina Holloway, Hazel Sanders and anyone else wanting to help.
“It was always something that brought the county together, and it was great,” Parish said.
Christmas concert
A Christmas concert — Parish’s favorite event — is scheduled for 7 p.m. Dec. 23 at Beth-Salem Church. The concert will last between 90 minutes to two hours, and admission is free.
“We would love donations to help restore the church and to help with downtown stuff we do, anything they (the community) come to, we welcome donations,” Parish said.
The concert features volunteer singers recruited by Chip and Steve Rosenthal, and a narrator who provides commentary accompanying the songs.
The Christmas concert and Christmas in Oglethorpe are sponsored by the Lexington Downtown Development Authority.
Over the years, Parish received help from Holloway, Sanders, Ronnie Boggs, Tom Thon, Pam Booth, Dee Pelewski, Williamson Sintyl and many others in planning and executing these holiday events.
“They (the community) should come to all of them (holiday events), because they're all different,” Parish said. “It’s a different experience at every one of them.”