BENNINGTON — Shoppers from far and wide came out to celebrate a cold but sunny Small Business Saturday in both downtown Manchester and along a celebratory Main Street in Bennington.
Visitors and locals alike took advantage of the horse-drawn carriage rides in Bennington and also listened to holiday carolers in Victorian costumes, consumed free hot cocoa, and said hello to Santa as they shopped and strolled. Storekeepers along Main Street were feeling optimistic about the holiday season and the crowds coming in to browse in their stores.
“This is going really well,” said Ashley Reherman, owner of The Local. “It’s nice to see Main Street so packed. I had trouble parking, which is wonderful. People have been very nice. It makes me very happy.”
“Everybody says the economy is iffy, but we seem to be holding steady,” said Beth Wilwol of the Gift Garden. “It looks like we might even be a little ahead of last year.”
Shoppers and browsers were mainly out to support local businesses and do some holiday shopping.
“Just coming around, looking at the shops and supporting local,” said Brittney Belleville of Shaftsbury, who brought her whole family, including her sister. “This is really nice, what Bennington does, especially for the kids. It helps spread the word to them to support local and continue supporting our small stores here.”
“This is great,” said Tom Stoddard, visiting with his family from Pennsylvania for the holiday weekend. “This is what Vermont should always be: local, quaint, friendly, and just like people want to remember it. It’s great.”
Manchester shops were buzzing with early Christmas shoppers who stopped in at the local establishments, from The Mountain Goat to the famous Northshire Bookstore, which was packed wall-to-wall with customers browsing books and kids scoping out Christmas presents.
“Things are going great,” said manager Elliot Couch at The Mountain Goat outdoor gear store on Main Street in Manchester. “We had a great day on Black Friday, and we are off to a good start today. The weather is cooperative, and lots of people are rolling in.
Couch said the store was about on track with last year and is expecting a good holiday season. He’s hoping the weather continues to cooperate, especially the snow, which brings skiers in by the dozens.
“If we have a good, strong winter like we did last year, we’ll be great,” Couch said.
Other businesses along Main Street felt the same. We spoke with Lisa Cellucci, owner of the Cottage Toy Co. & Candy Shop, who is celebrating her first holiday season. When asked how things are going so far, Cellucci told us, “Awesome. I couldn’t be happier. It’s above and beyond our expectations.”