Holiday Open House Nov. 17 in Mount Olive
By Bonnie Edwards
Published in News on October 23, 2005 2:00 AM
MOUNT OLIVE -- Plans are firming up for the upcoming second Holiday Open House in downtown Mount Olive.
The open house will be held on Nov. 17 in the Heart of Mount Olive, as it's now called.
Organizers are arranging for each participating business owner to have luminaries leading to the door and a color-coded spot on a map specially provided for those coming to the open house. Colors will be assigned to different types of businesses, like a restaurant will have one color, and a retail shop will have another. The participating businesses will compete for prizes, which will be given for best window decorations.
The town of Mount Olive will fire up the Christmas lights during the open house. Santa will set up shop in front of the Chamber office, and youth choirs will come caroling.
Promotions Committee Chairman Patsy Joyner of the Small Town Project said signs directing people to the participating businesses and bumper stickers will be another new addition to the open house this fall.
"When anyone who comes into a store, we'll hand them a map so they will know where the other stores are," she said. "The bumper stickers will be the peel-off kind. I will not put a bumper sticker on mine that you have to scrape off. These peel off, and they don't leave a mark."
A noon fashion show will kick off the open house at the Mount Olive Bistro with models showing off clothing and accessories provided at Ms. Joyner's shop called Ruffles and Bows.
The participants will keep their businesses open until 8 p.m. that night and give away things like Christmas candy and mints, and they'll all play Christmas music.