Berlin welcomes shoppers for annual holiday event
Shopping Under the Stars is hosted by the Berlin Main Street Merchants, a group of business leaders who come together to coordinate special events and help make the Ohio Amish Country shopping experience easier and more enjoyable for locals and tourists.
It seems this time of year presents itself as the busiest season of them all. With holidays to celebrate, families to visit, houses to decorate and gifts to purchase, there’s not enough time in the day to do everything the season demands while keeping up with the daily tasks at hand.
The Berlin Main Street Merchants saw this issue several years ago and decided to create an event that actually adds a few hours to the day, at least to the hours of operation within the downtown businesses.
Shopping Under the Stars, which will be held Friday, Dec. 8, is a night where many Berlin merchants will stay open from 5-9 p.m. in hopes of helping those shoppers who can’t make it out during the day.
One organizer for the event and owner of the Gospel Book Store, Eli Hochstetler, said the decision to stay open later came about because “tourists say we roll up the sidewalks at 5 o’clock. What we’re doing is holding this event in the evening so we have a better chance of everybody being out. It’s a handy thing and a little bit different. It’s for people who have a rough time getting everything done during the day.”
The event is hosted by the Berlin Main Street Merchants, a group of business leaders who come together to coordinate special events and help make the Ohio Amish Country shopping experience easier and more enjoyable for locals and tourists.
According to Hochstetler, who acts as the current vice president of the Berlin Main Street Merchants, there are 45 members in the organization, and by hosting a variety of shopping events throughout the year, it “keeps it interesting.”
Originally each shop stayed open late on whichever day they chose, and the Main Street Merchants quickly noticed this wasn’t the most efficient way of doing business. So they came together and decided to hold one event on one night and call it Shopping Under the Stars. That was several years ago, and today the special shopping night is bigger and better than ever.
Each merchant will offer the most popular Christmas items on everyone’s shopping list at the best prices in town. Special sales and discounts also are a pivotal part of the evening as the merchants show their appreciation for doing business locally.
It’s not just the sales within the shops that customers will enjoy. Several stores will offer refreshments such as hot chocolate, coffee and cookies, helping guests save a bundle on their Christmas shopping while also staying warm and getting into the spirit of the season.
“You can get inside the store to warm up,” Hochstetler said. “This is something that is strictly made for the customer to make shopping easier and fun for everybody. We get all bogged down with the craziness at this time of year, and we all need the help to make it easier for us.”
So stop by downtown Berlin on Friday, Dec. 9 for Shopping Under the Stars and enjoy everything Amish Country has to offer at special prices and a special time.