BY KADIE VICK
THE LAFAYETTE SUN
LAFAYETTE — LaFayette Main Street is hosting its first Christmas in July event on Friday, July 25, and will begin giving away free Downtown Dollars at eight a.m.
“The Main Street members who are participating are going to have specials, and they’re going to be creative with the Christmas theme,” said LaFayette Main Street Director DeAnna Hand. “I think that some people will have some good sales, and it’s just going to be a fun, festive day of shopping in downtown Lafayette.”
Hand said that the Christmas in July event was created to bring customers to local businesses during the slower summer months.
“At LaFayette Main Street, one of our big missions is to support local businesses,” Hand said. “With the summer months being difficult for retailers and small businesses, we wanted to be creative in how we encourage shopping and the support of our local businesses.”
LaFayette Main Street Member and Volunteer, Dr. Butch Busby, brought the idea of a Christmas in July event to Hand and said he is happy to see LaFayette Main Street supporting local businesses during the summer months.
“I just thought it was a good idea to benefit our merchants in our Main Street district, to give them a little boost in some summer sales,” Busby said.
Busby said that he appreciates that the LaFayette Main Street board is open to suggestions and takes into consideration the ideas of the community.
“A great thing about our LaFayette Main Street is that the executive director and board members are all very open to ideas, implementing stuff, and letting stuff come from the bottom up rather than top down,” Busby said.
During the Christmas in July event, Busby said that all community members should be involved and that he is excited to see customers fill up local businesses.
“What I am most excited about is filling up our stores with buyers,” he said. “There are some incentives for savings for people to come into the community and spend money, the bottom line is it will help our merchants. Main Street LaFayette is open and wants participation from the entire community, from private citizens to merchants and vendors.”
Hand said that locals should join in the fun and escape the heat while getting a head start on Christmas gifts or back-to-school supplies, and use Downtown Dollars.
“We are making it a festive and fun summer activity for people to get a head start on their holiday shopping, and to go indoors and escape the heat of the hot days that we’re having here,” she said.
“I think it’s very unique to have a Christmas in July event because who wouldn’t want to start their Christmas shopping early? It is also right before school, so they could use their downtown dollars to get some of their back-to-school supplies or clothing.”
