|
Bob Whittingham, owner of Whittingham's in downtown Fredericksburg, decorates the window of his Caroline Street shop for the Christmas open house. The annual event, scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, got its start in 1973.
Downtown Fredericksburg merchants such as Bob Whittingham (pictured here) are getting ready for the Christmas open house this weekend. The annual event kicks off the holiday shopping season. |
Increasingly heavy traffic around Fredericksburg could mean downtown stores will ring up more sales this Christmas.
At least that's the hope of retailers such as Bob Whittingham, who upped Christmas orders for his home and kitchen shop at 1021 Caroline St. by a third this year.
"People don't want to fight the traffic on I-95 and Route 3 to do their holiday shopping," he said.
Higher energy prices also are likely to keep area shoppers closer to home this year, Whittingham said. Plus he's noticed more and more people from Stafford and Spotsylvania counties are starting to rediscover downtown.
"They like the service and the ambience," said the merchant, who is known for the witty and whimsical displays in the Whittingham's storefront. "It's not chain stores down here."
The antiques stores, specialty boutiques and historic-attraction gift shops on Fredericksburg's tree-lined streets already have begun gearing up for Christmas in anticipation of the Downtown Holiday Open House Weekend this Saturday and Sunday. Most will be open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
"It's a real big kick-off for the season, and the public loves it," said Marilee Meek, a co-owner of The Pavilion, an interior design and gift shop at 723 Caroline St. "We've had up to 900 people here on a Sunday afternoon."
The annual event, organized by Downtown Retail Marketing Inc., got its start in 1973 when the late Dick Ross held a holiday show at the old Sheraton Motor Inn for his downtown business, Flowers By Ross.
He began holding it at the store, then located on William Street, the following year as a way to lure shoppers downtown.
"More and more people started opening because we were so busy," recalled Jan Williams of Jan Williams Florals, who was working for Ross at the time. "It really wasn't an organized effort until the downtown merchants association decided to join the bandwagon."
Today, the open house is two days instead of one, and has become something of a thank-you to customers, according to Meek.
Some stores will be serving refreshments, while others will offer special discounts. There'll also be live entertainment on the streets, sales of Historic Fredericksburg Foundation Inc.'s 2004 Christmas ornament and the lighting of a Freedom Tree in Market Square.
"It's just a jam-packed weekend downtown," said Martha Crimmins, DRMI president.
Connie Parody, who opened the Hope Co. at 721 Caroline St. with daughter Cameron Parody last March, said other merchants have warned them to be prepared because they're bound to be extremely busy this weekend.
Their shop, which had been in Occoquan for 13 years, carries such women's clothing lines as April Cornell. It will have a rack of summer and fall fashions marked down 75 percent during the open house.
"The reception has been wonderful for the boutique since we opened," said Parody, who lives in Ferry Farm. "We haven't regretted closing our old store."
Customers typically shop downtown for unique items that never find their way into the larger stores in Spotsylvania Mall or area shopping centers, said Joni Ulman Lewis of Visual Treats at 903 Caroline St.
"I go out [to Target] regularly to know what not to buy for my store," she said. "Some of the people I buy from also sell to Target."
Lewis also handcrafts many of the items in her store, including lavender-filled pillows with pictures of vintage postcards on the front that were featured in the January/February issue of Country Home.
Right now, her handmade holiday cards and collage-inspiration kits are selling well, as are Boris Balley switch plates, table and chair sets made from recycled street signs and Brazilian zippered coin purses made from old inner tubes.
"I seem to be the Pied Piper of the teenage set," Lewis said. "They appreciate handmade things, especially recycled things."
Over at Redfern & Sons, 808 Caroline St., customers go for arrangements crafted by Eric Redfern, son of owner Norma Redfern, plus the collectible Cat's Meow Village images of area shops, restaurants and historic sites that she's commissioned.
New this year will be Irish Eyes, Ramoth Baptist Church, Rocking Horse Gallery and Olde Towne Wine & Cheese Deli.
Customers like the painted wooden cutouts with the signature image of a black cat on the front because it reminds them of where they got married, a special meal out or a favorite place where they've shopped, Norma Redfern said.
Fay Papai, owner of Christmases Past & Presents at 712 Caroline St., said she's expecting a repeat of the last year's great holiday season, which cleared out her stockroom--and an even better one for her Web site, christmasespast.com.
The online business carries the same 3,900 Department 56 Dickens Village, Snowbabies and other items as the store, but surpassed it in sales about a year and a half ago, she said.
"There's a larger audience of shoppers. And they're more specific and they know what they want before they come to the Web site," Papai said.
But she said she loves to see her local customers during the open house weekend, especially those who have been coming to the store since it opened 18 years ago.
"You enjoy seeing those familiar faces," she said.
To reach CATHY JETT: 540/374-5407 cjett@freelancestar.com
