Christmas ‘shop local’ events about more than money spent

Published 2:00 pm Tuesday, November 25, 2025

There’s a reason why artists depicting Christmas scenes prefer to show small-town main streets, the shops glistening with lights and festive displays, rather than big-box retailers with an aisle or two of “seasonal” items. In the classic holiday song “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas,” songwriter Meredith Wilson gives a shout-out to such a scene in the opening verse:

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Everywhere you go.

Take a look at the five-and-ten, it’s glistening once again,

With candy canes and silver lanes aglow.

Wilson goes on to mention the festive “tree in the Grand Hotel,” and one in the park as well: “The sturdy kind that doesn’t mind the snow.” The song conjures up images of shoppers hurrying to and fro, picking up an item here and an item there from smiling local merchants, stopping to greet friends and neighbours along the way.

It’s this feeling that the Village of Clinton evokes with its annual “Shop Local” Christmas campaign. This year’s event, “Believe in the Magic of Christmas,” takes places on Friday, Dec. 5, and as part of the Ashcroft-Cache Creek Journal’s “Live Here, Shop Here” campaign we spoke with Angela Smith, Clinton’s deputy corporate officer, who says that the event is getting bigger every year.

“When I first started in 2019 it was kind of new-ish, and at the time was the ‘Love Clinton’ program,” she says. “Then it became ‘Plaid Friday,’ [sponsored by Northern Development Initiative Trust], but they don’t do that anymore, so we changed it to ‘Shop Local’.”

As an incentive, the Village gave out “Love Clinton” bags at first, to shoppers who spent a minimum of $25 during the event. Then they gave a toque and mug, or a bag, to shoppers who turned in their receipts after the event.

Last year, anyone who picked up a punch card and spent a minimum of $75 at local businesses during the event was eligible to win one of four gift baskets, each with items sourced only from local merchants and valued at more than $250 each. Smith says the results were amazing.

“The amount spent in Clinton on just the cards that were dropped off for gift baskets was over $8,000 in one night. It was definitely the most successful event we’ve had.”

Stores in town remain open late during the event, and purchases usually have to be made between 5 and 8 p.m. on the night. However, Smith notes that all Clinton businesses qualify.

“We’re trying to keep the money locally. If you happen to need gas that night and it’s $75, it’s a Clinton purchase.”

Recognizing that Clinton has many home-based businesses that don’t have a storefront, the Village opened up the council chambers last year and invited home-based businesses to participate for the first time. This year, home-based businesses will be set up at the Free Spirit Art Gallery, which has more room. All participating businesses, including the home-based ones, will have punch cards available, and shoppers who spend $75 or more between 5 and 8 p.m. on Dec. 5, then turn in their cards, will have a chance to win one of three spectacular gift baskets.

“We’ve sourced all the items from local stores and home-based businesses,” says Smith. “That’s super important. And with every card that’s brought in, no matter if you spent $5 or $75 or more, you’ll get a free Village of Clinton Christmas ornament with the year on it.”

She adds that local businesses definitely benefit from the event. “They’re all excited to participate. I’ve never had a business that participated that said ‘I don’t think it was anything great for me.’

“And the excitement of the community after the total [amount spent] was announced, of how much stayed in the community, was huge. People were saying what an amazing turnout, look how well we did, we need to keep going year after year to keep the momentum going.”

Smith says that the $8,000 last year only represents the cards that were turned in to the Village for the draw; the actual local spending was almost certainly higher. And she notes the exposure the event gives to local businesses, especially ones that people might not know about.

“We had a new business last year, and no one else in town was selling the things they did, so people had a chance to see it and realize ‘They have some cool things I didn’t know about.’ We have blinders on sometimes.”

Including home-based businesses gives people even more of a choice of things to purchase, Smith adds.

“We think of businesses on the main street, but home-based businesses without a store front don’t have the same opportunities, and they should be included. All of the home-based businesses that were in the Village office last year said ‘I made more tonight than at any of the craft fairs I’ve been to.’ It was pretty huge to hear that.

“Another business doesn’t do much advertising so no one knew about her, and this gave her some exposure. I reached out to her again about this year and she said ‘One hundred per cent I’ll be there.’”

Each year Smith tries to add more to the event, in part to try to out-do the previous year. On Dec. 5 there will be a chance for people to have a photo taken with Santa at the Memorial Hall, for the cost of a donation of a non-perishable food item for the Clinton Food Bank; those having their picture taken with St. Nick will also be entered in a draw to win a camera gift basket.

There will be a Christmas colouring contest with three age categories, with the winner in each one getting a gift basket geared to that age group. Colouring sheets can be picked up at the Memorial Hall, and can either be coloured there or taken home. Entries must be submitted no later than Dec. 10, and there will be a draw on Dec. 12 for the colouring contest and the gift baskets.

Smith says that while it’s a great event for local businesses, allowing people to do some Christmas shopping, it’s also about creating an ambience. The event will kick off at 5 p.m. with the lighting-up of the Clinton Village office; Christmas carolers will be roaming the town; and free hot chocolate will be available at Hunnies and at The Junction coffee shop. To try to make it more of a weekend event, there will also be free skating at the 47 Mile arena from 1 to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 6 and from 3 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 7.

“It’s a chance for the grown-ups to do some Christmas shopping and get out and about, but last year people were excited and talking and laughing, and it’s so cool to be a part of that,” says Smith. “Everyone who came into the Village office had a smile on their face.

“People like being part of something that enriches the community, and it helps to get people into the Christmas spirit. No one was cranky, and everyone was excited for the event. Each year we’re trying to top the year before, and I think the momentum is out there now.”