Extreme wind died down Thursday just in time for residents to be able to enjoy a nice stroll through downtown Emporia to find the perfect deal for the holiday season.
The annual Emporia Main Street Moonlight Madness sales event saw several local businesses extend their hours of operation to give local shoppers extra time to peruse their shelves and stock to find something special for the special ones in their lives. Emporia Main Street Events Coordinator Jessica Buchholz says no matter who you were shopping for, there was something for everyone downtown.
For some, including Brown’s Shoe Fit Co. Manager Aaron Otto, the perfect gift was a brand new pair of shoes.
For others, like Middleground Books co-owner Megan Love, there is nothing better during the winter months than the comfort that comes with a new book.
Now, for those who may not have found exactly what they were looking for, Buchholz suggests considering a Main Street gift certificate, as it benefits not only the person receiving it but also the community.
Also among the businesses extending their hours on Thursday was Emporia’s Imaginarium, which hosted not only visitors but also an official ribbon-cutting ceremony at its new temporary space at 707 Commercial Street. Co-owner Melanie Curtis says they are very excited to be taking this next step in their journey, noting the new location, while temporary, has provided both sides of the business with more dedicated space than before.
Buchholz, who oversaw the ribbon cutting, says the entire Main Street team is very proud of how far Imaginarium has come and excited for the future of the homegrown business.
As has been reported in recent months, Imaginarium is set to eventually occupy the former Graves Drugs space at 609 Commercial; however, Curtis says it is not readily clear at this time exactly when that move will be completed.
In addition to the sales and celebration in the downtown corridor, the evening also featured another round of horse-drawn carriage rides courtesy of Emporia Main Street.
