JEFFERSONVILLE, Ind. — Business owners in Jeffersonville are hard at work prepping for the annual Holiday Open House.
"It's a lot of work. It's a lot of ordering, you know what's the right product to order, what did you sell last year, what's trending this year," said Carolyn Manutillo, owner of Lavender Hill.
"It's a lot of fun for us, it's a lot of fun for our customers," said Sandra Phillips, a partner at Sugar Maples Antiques and Gifts.
But it's it's also one piece of the puzzle that builds the city's vibrant downtown.
"There's been a lot of investment and revitalization in downtown in the last 15-20 years," said Jay Ellis, the executive director of Jeffersonville Main Street. "We've come a long way from where we had a lot of buildings that were boarded up to now we have vibrant businesses in the downtown."
Jeffersonville Main Street is the organization that is hosting the Holiday Open House. This is the 16th year they've put it on. The event has about 20 businesses participating with trolley rides to transport shoppers to each one. There will also be plenty of food to eat while shopping. But behind the fun and the food, the purpose goes a little deeper.
"It's important for people to come down and support their downtown. If they want a vibrant downtown they've got to support the businesses, and the businesses have a lot to offer," said Ellis.
"You can't beat the uniqueness of what you find here. You're not going to find 100 of anything, you're lucky if you find two of something," said Phillips.
That unique delivery is how these mom and pop shops compete with online shopping and chain stores.
"We want to build a relationship with people. We want to get to know them," said Manutillo.
For more information on the event, click here.
Make it easy to keep up-to-date with more stories like this. Download the WHAS11 News app now. For Apple or Android users.
Have a news tip? Email assign@whas11.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter feed.