Kellie, her 15-year-old daughter, was giving her a hand. Jackie O’Neil, who is 47, was working her handmade jewelry, scarves and fashion clothing from one corner of Whimsical Florist. “I love the earrings made out of bullets,” 73-year-old Lela Harrelson said with a chuckle. As for Fired Up Jewelry, it promotes its merchandise as “Handcrafted from Real Ammo.” The vendors, with such business names as Ladybug Adventures, Jackie’s Stitches, Southern Belle Boutique and Fired Up Jewelry, were spread out throughout the spacious store setting. Williams, who figures to keep the event as an annual attraction, estimated 400 to 500 shoppers attended the show on Friday. He knew he had a good idea by the amount of foot traffic and seller success at the initial event. “It sort of starts your Christmas season off.”Ī year ago, Williams first provided a scaled-down option for holiday shoppers when the Junior League of Fayetteville canceled the popular Holly Day Fair for the first time in 54 years because of the COVID-19 pandemic. “We have a variety of items and gifts,” local florist and Holly Jolly Christmas Show promoter Maurice Williams said.
The three-day run of the show got underway on Friday and continued Saturday and Sunday.Īpproximately 21 vendors were working the in-store bazaar Saturday morning in the building which once housed Goody’s. Most of what people in the county shop for and look for is here.” “I think it’s representative of our county. “I came just to check out the vendors,” Smith said. Smith, who is in her 40s and lives in Elizabethtown, was buying a tunic, earrings and a pair of leggings from the Jackie O’Neil Designs vendor site. “I think the biggest thing for me is to get our name out there, for sure, and to offer ladies clothing at a reasonable price,” Phelps said. Phelps and Coleman are from the Delco and Whiteville communities, respectively. Phelps, who owns the clothing business with her sister, Amber Coleman, worked last year’s show, too. “You know how women like Christmas and decorating,” said 27-year-old Brook Phelps, who was manning the Mustard Seed Boutique spot in the back area of the host Whimsical Florist & Gifts store. Like the customers, the vendors, too, seemed to be pleased. With COVID, it’s not as large a crowd,” shopper Jill Smith said. “It’s very local, and you don’t have to go so far. Though most visitors were not wearing face masks, the crowd appeared to be comfortably spread apart. The show wasn’t crazy busy, and there was no frenzied shopping to be seen like at some door-buster Black Friday sales. ELIZABETHTOWN - The second Holly Jolly Christmas Show had a leisurely laidback appeal to many of the shoppers who came through the doors on Saturday.