JERSEYVILLE – Downtown Jerseyville will come alive with the spirit of the Christmas season on November 30, as the 5th annual Downtown Country, Christmas Festival gets underway on Small Business Saturday. The festival event, since inception, was designed to help springboard holiday sales for Jerseyville’s downtown merchants as well as for the Jersey County area’s many small businesses, entrepreneurs, creatives and solopreneurs.
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One downtown merchant that has opened its doors for the last three years since relocating their business to the heart of downtown Jerseyville 112 N. State St. is Tonsor Custom Awards & Decals, better known as “TCAD” to most. Their shop offers personalized gifts, printed apparel, signage and banners, engraving services, and of course, awards and decals.
“We opened our State Street location on the same weekend the Festival moved to downtown,” said TCAD’s Wendy Tonsor. “This will be our fourth year participating.”
“It’s been great for us,” Tonsor said further. “We always host drawings and giveaways, and our store is packed shoulder-to-shoulder. Everyone is in good spirits, and it feels just like hometown holidays should.” Tonsor added that this year, TCAD will have hot cider and holiday music for shoppers to enjoy as they make their selections from the festive holiday gear and gift options they will have available.
Organizers for the 5th annual Downtown Country Christmas Festival are still on the lookout for vendors and exhibitors for the Nov. 30 Small Business Saturday event as well. Registrations for a spot under the heated tent are due by Nov. 18. This is just one way the annual Festival helps small businesses connect with customers in the true hometown spirit of “Stay Local, Shop Local.”
“We do have vendor and exhibitor spots still available for the Festival event,” said Angie Laird, Downtown Country Christmas Festival vice president. “However, they are filling quickly. We are excited to already have several new vendors signed up this year, including a new food vendor.”
“This year the tent will be set up a bit differently than it has been in previous years,” Laird added. “It will also be serving as the area where our local school choir groups perform, as well as some of the other scheduled entertainment. And yes, the tent will be heated again this year.”
Vendors and exhibitors will be housed for the Festival under a 6,000 square foot tent set up on a blacktop parking lot encompassed by the event area in the 100 block of West Exchange Street. The tent area will be open from 7 to 9:30 a.m. on Saturday morning, Nov. 30 for set up. Operating hours during the Downtown Country Christmas Festival are from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Spaces must be staffed and open for the entire operating schedule.
Each display area has 10 feet of frontage and is 10 feet deep. One center display area is $40, two are at $70 for the pair. A center display area will not have electricity. One perimeter display area is $50, two are at $90 a pair regardless of electrical needs. There are a limited number of spaces that offer an electrical hookup option. Those that offer electricity will have only one plug-in available, provided at low amperage, for an additional $10 fee.
For complete details or to register as a vendor or exhibitor, visit the Festival website at downtowncountrychristmas.com and complete the registration form.
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