ELIZABETHTON, Tenn. (WJHL) – The heart of Elizabethton was alive with festive cheer on Sunday as Downtown Main Street celebrated its 28th annual Christmas Open House.

Welcoming both locals and visitors, thirty businesses threw open their doors, offering a joyful start to the holiday shopping season. Shoppers were treated to special deals and festive decorations throughout the town.

The afternoon resonated with the harmonious melodies of Christmas carols, performed by the Sycamore Shoals Singers. Adding to the holiday spirit, Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus made a special appearance.

Courtney Bean, Program Director of Main Street, invited everyone to immerse themselves in the festive atmosphere and discover the unique downtown shops.

“This marks our 28th annual Christmas Open House, and we’re thrilled to have Christmas music filling the air along with an array of small businesses here downtown,” Bean shared with News Channel 11. “We’re here to celebrate the holidays and hope it brings joy to all.”

Frankie Bailey, who owns The Coffee Company on Main Street, noted that many customers enjoyed a festive drink while they strolled through the shops that evening.

“Usually this is one of our biggest shopping days downtown, so it’s huge for our merchants downtown,” Bailey told News Channel 11. “So, it’s wonderful; it’s a great day here. We sell a lot of our bags of coffee, our merch, and then we have lots of folks coming in for all these holiday drinks.”

Donna Matthewson was one of those customers and got to see the Nutcracker while she shopped.

“We saw that they were having the Christmas Open House for all the shops today,” Matthewson said. “And it’s always fun to come down and see what’s new.”

Sweetsie Treatz, an ice cream shop, offered holiday treat flavors, according to owner Heather Odom.

“Today we have our fudge that we’ve made up fresh; for the holidays, we have peanut butter, chocolate with walnuts, and Rocky Road today,” Odom told News Channel 11. “We also have a Christmas cookie ice cream, that we have in for today and then we also have a dirty soda that we’ve made for today.”

Bean said she hopes visitors make a day of the event with a Christmas spirit for everyone.

“We pride ourselves in being a quaint, friendly and welcoming small town,” Bean said. “And so with people visiting today, we hope that they really embrace that experience.”

Listed below are Elizabethton Downtown Main Street’s upcoming events:

Small Business Saturday: November 29 | 10 a.m. 6 p.m.
Holiday Sip & Shop: December 5 | 5 p.m. 9 p.m.
Holiday Wrap-Up: December 20 | 10 a.m. 6 p.m.