Retailers in Liverpool hope the festive season will bring shoppers to their doors.

The fourth annual Christmas in Liverpool Holiday Shopping event will be going ahead Saturday with close to 40 businesses hanging red and green balloons outside their shops to show their participation.

Organizer Heather Kelly said the idea came to her and Brian Fralic when they were both councillors for the Region of Queens.

“It’s kind of meant to bring loads of people downtown,” said Kelly. “Maybe this year will be a little different because of COVID. But hopefully people from other areas will come into town and go shopping.”

Originally, they named the event “Downtown for the Holidays." But Kelly said she changed it this year as they have now expanded to include businesses throughout Liverpool.

She remembers looking back on Main Street during the first year of the event and thinking how the town must have looked in years past.

“Everybody always thinks about the heyday of Liverpool and when it was really bustling and whatnot,” said Kelly. “But it was a very magical day and we try to recreate that every year but this year’s obviously different.”

Kelly said when people drive through Liverpool they can miss seeing the wide variety of shops and services. That’s why businesses are working together to provide promotions and prizes to get people out of their cars and walking the streets.

“It was, just really to get them to recognize each business and to go through the door. Maybe they might stay, they might buy something but at least they’ve been there. They know where it is, they know what it is and they know what they do,” said Kelly.

Three pop-up shops from the Privateer market will join the established businesses from the new Work Evolved space on Main Street.

Kelly said the event will be offering a prize of a $200 gift card to be used in any of the participating local shops. Ballots are available at many of the locations or by making a donation at the Queens County Food Bank.

She hopes to see the community get out and support their neighbours this weekend.

“Everybody is anxious to get out and do whatever shopping they can do locally and I just want to do my part to drive business through those doors and try to help out those businesses to do as best they can this Christmas,” said Kelly.

The Christmas in Liverpool Holiday shopping event kicks off Saturday morning at 9 a.m. and runs until approximately 4 p.m. A list of participating merchants is available on the Christmas in Liverpool – Holiday Shopping Event Facebook page.

Reported by Ed Halverson 
E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson