Every moment of planning, every guideline followed to the “T,” every attention to detail, spreading out for social spacing between artists and vendors, and limiting the number of shoppers at every venue proved successful for Small Business Saturday. Nearly two dozen artisans, crafters and vendors were assigned spaces in a variety of locations throughout Hinton to meet with customers and share their wares. Short lines formed outside retail shops in the downtown area to allow time and space for shoppers in stores to shop safely. It worked. It worked so well that Hinton will host another festive Christmas and marketing event this Saturday, “Hinton’s Hometown Christmas”.
Hinton Mayor Jack Scott was pleased with the shoppers’ traffic. “Our businesses and vendors did well this weekend, which is the ultimate barometer. We seemed to have many out of town guests, as well,” and the mayor said he wants to thank all those who came out. Scott welcomed guests into the McCreery hotel to browse and buy gifts from nearly a dozen crafters and vendors. He served as gatekeeper and monitored COVID-19 precautionary measures. With huge bottles of sanitizers and masks to hand out, Scott kept things moving ‘up and down’ and ‘in and out’ at a comfortable pace throughout the day.
The streets were alive with masked but happy faces, friends and neighbors happy to get out and socialize again. Free Christmas movies played throughout the day at The Ritz Theatre, elves were seen walking in and around The Plaza, and kids posed for pictures amid the special holiday decorations around town. Live Christmas trees, sold by the Lions Club, drew shoppers into the City Park on Temple Street, and merchants maintained a controlled but steady business throughout the day. Along the streets light crowds awaited turns at Moonstruck Maple syrups — locally produced on Brooks Mountain, and others cast ballots in the form of bucks into jars racking up points for contestants in the ACWP’s Prettiest Pet competition. All the vendors, arts, crafts and direct marketers were from throughout Summers County to showcase small businesses and keep shoppers close to home.
We are looking forward to this Saturday, Dec. 5, for another festive day at Hinton’s Hometown Christmas Celebration.
Live Christmas trees, crafts, vendors and downtown retailers will again welcome shoppers to a day of hometown shopping opportunities. Saturday promises more free Christmas movies at The Ritz, shopping at the Mistletoe Market, McCreery Hotel, Hinton Floral, Boho, Otter and Oak, Avant Garde, Big Four, Grandma’s House, The Market, sidewalk vendors and more arts and crafts in the Middle School Gym.
As the day winds down The Hinton Christmas Parade is set to begin at the Fire Station in at 6 p.m. with a meandering route through Hinton neighborhoods out to the West End, back into Avis and on to Bellepoint where everyone through town can sit on the porches and watch instead of crowding along the streets in a time when everyone is asked to maintain social distancing. The parade will be led by the Spirit of Hinton Chad Meador and family, riding on city fire trucks carrying the Snow King and Snow Queen, healthcare workers and COVID-19 frontline first responders.
