Christmas is getting too big for one person to plan, so the Shawano Business Improvement District Board on March 5 approved forming a committee to help its director, Lindsey Johnson, to coordinate the growing list of activities.
Board President Chelsea Gilling noted that the BID’s efforts to bring shoppers to the downtown area during the holiday season is paying off.
“Christmas has become kind of a big deal in Shawano,” Gilling said. “We are Hallmark.”
There are currently three big events that BID implements. The first is the Christmas open house Nov. 6-7, which is a big shopping event among the downtown businesses. The Saturday after Thanksgiving is the annual holiday stroll, where shops offer activities and Christmas deals just before the big tree lighting in the evening at Franklin Park. The last event is the annual Santa Parade.
Johnson said she was looking for three or four people to help her with all the “moving parts” in preparation for the holiday season. She noted that the committee would not be a huge time commitment, noting the board members, who all run their own businesses, have limited availability.
“I’d like to meet this spring and look at what’s our plan, what do we want to accomplish in addition to what we’re doing,” Johnson said. “We can divide and conquer a little bit.”
An update on how things are progressing would be needed at a meeting during the summer, according to Johnson. Another update in the fall with plans for “putting boots on the ground” would also be needed, she said.
“I think we want it to continue to grow,” Johnson said. “I’d love to talk about how Maddie Stuewer has the Santa house every Saturday, but how can we get those visitors to then come down and patronize our businesses after they visit with Santa. Making that connection is probably one of those pieces that we can do better on.”
lpulaski@newmedia-wi.com
