PINE BELT, Miss. (WDAM) – Although Thanksgiving is still a few days away, Pine Belt small businesses are helping shoppers get into the holiday spirit.
More than 100 vendors headed to Laurel for Saturday’s Merry Marketplace, a tradition that organizers said was sure to bring out shoppers’ holiday spirit.
“We like to say you shop until you drop when you come here,” said Amelia Baters, director of Merry Marketplace. “You can literally start your holiday shopping and finish it with us.
“We have a little bit of absolutely everything”
The same could be said at Train Depot in Hattiesburg, home to the 13th annual Holiday Expo,
“You can literally get everything you need,” said Danyella Terrell, Holiday Expo coordinator. “Your jellies that you are using for your Christmas and Thanksgiving parties and dinners. And your jams, your condiments and your sauces. All of this.”
Although many vendors were locally owned, organizers said some of the businesses came from beyond the Pine Belt.
“We have brought in more than 75 suppliers from Mississippi; Alabama; Louisiana; Atlanta, Georgia; and Texas,” Terrell said. “I think I’ve got them all, and Tennessee.”
In Laurel, the Merry Marketplace was already looking ahead to next year.
Organizers said their plans for the upcoming holiday season will further boost small businesses and give shoppers more than one chance to check off everything on their lists.
“Next year, we’re going to have two Christmas shows, one in Hattiesburg and one in Laurel,” Bates said. “We like to set this up to give people a chance to make some extra money for the holidays, but also to allow the community to come out and shop with these vendors and small businesses.”
A little early holiday shopping not only helps shoppers spread costs but also strengthens the local economy, Bates said.
“It’s great to put money back directly into the hand that gave it,” Bates said. “Because that way we can invest in our community and encourage people to work from home or even do crafts.”
The Hattiesburg Christmas Expo featured more than 70 vendors, while Laurel’s Merry Marketplace featured 178 vendors.
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