“It was such a great success last year that we decided to do it again this year,” Grubb said.
Holly Jolly Hamilton aims to highlight Hamilton through more than a dozen events as it brings awareness to the businesses downtown and encourages residents to shop local. Holly Jolly Hamilton features everything from scavenger hunts to Santa sightings and much more. Holly Jolly Hamilton will continue with Small Business Saturday on Sat., Nov. 27.
“We hear consistently from shops that Small Business Saturday in Hamilton is one of their largest sales days of the year. So, the next couple of weeks are going to be huge for our local businesses,” Grubb said.
“I would definitely encourage people to shop small on Small Business Saturday and use that as a tool to really think about shopping and supporting local all year long,” she said.
Hamilton has about 65 businesses located throughout downtown Hamilton. Participating businesses are listed for each event. Holly Jolly Hamilton also offers plenty of kid-friendly offerings, too, such as the Joy to the Wald, Christmas with Santa event in Lindenwald or the German Village Christmas Walk.
During Holly Jolly Hamilton, most businesses stay open late, and events run from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Last Friday’s Music on Main event drew thousands to the downtown shops and restaurants at later-than-usual hours.
One upcoming exception is “That’s a Wrap” on Sat., Dec. 18 which will run from noon to 5 p.m. For a complete listing of events and details, go to www.hamilton-ohio.com/explore-hamilton.
“We wanted to showcase all of our local businesses here, including retail, restaurants, and bars to highlight shopping local and supporting local. It’s just really important to support those local, mom and pop shops,” Grubb said.
The events are drawing lots of foot traffic, she said, and it’s exciting to see people from the surrounding communities coming to Hamilton as a destination.
“I am really encouraged that people are exploring Hamilton that are not from Hamilton. Last week, at the Illuminate Hamilton event, I spoke with a woman from Maineville, who had never been to Hamilton before. She saw the event advertised and decided to bring her family,” Grubb said.
A new “Explore Hamilton” app is another way community members can keep up to date with the listing of community events, which are listed there. Also, each of the businesses are listed on a map. Those looking to explore Hamilton can download the app before they visit. The app is free, and it can be downloaded from the App Store, or the Google Play store.
“Hamilton is an amazing place and things are happening. I would encourage people, especially for holiday shopping, to get unique items and support local businesses. With the news of shipping delays, or with online orders getting cancelled, and things like that, you don’t have to worry about that when you shop at a local business. You can get unique items and take them with you,” Grubb said.
Upcoming Holly Jolly Hamilton events
Saturday: Small Business Saturday https://bit.ly/2ZR2PMC
Wed., Dec. 1-Sat., Dec. 4: Hamilton Ornament Crawl https://bit.ly/3nxmp9M
Dec. 3-4: Hamilton Christkindlmarkt https://bit.ly/3b6QwOq
Dec. 5: (Noon. to 5 p.m.) German Village Christmas Walk
Dec. 10: (5 p.m. to 9 p.m.) Stocking Up Sip & Shop https://bit.ly/3vISUUW
Dec. 10-Dec. 11: (5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Fri. and 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Sat.): Winter in the Wald
Dec. 11: (11 a.m. to – 3 p.m.) Joy to the Wald, Christmas with Santa at Heaven Sent
Sat., Dec. 18 (Noon to 5 p.m.) That’s a Wrap. Get your gifts in downtown Hamilton and receive free gift wrapping. https://bit.ly/3B84bQ1
Festivities throughout Holly Jolly Hamilton
Reindeer Games: Help Santa find his reindeer. https://www.hamilton-ohio.com/hrg
Hamilton Craft & Cocktail Quest: Explore Hamilton Ohio’s Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area (DORA) on an adventure to discover craft brews and seasonal cocktails. https://www.gettothebc.com/quest
Santa’s House: Dec 3-24 https://bit.ly/3mcUewv
Hamilton Nights at Pyramid Hill’s Journey Borealis: This annual holiday, drive through light display runs through Sun., Jan 2, 2022. Hamilton residents can get in free to Journey Borealis on Tuesdays in December. https://journeyborealis.com/
The Farmers Collective Holiday Market: Watch for additional details, coming soon.
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