A collection of downtown Homewood businesses dimmed their lights, placed candles and stayed open late for pre-Christmas shoppers Thursday night.
“The local shops along this corridor agree to stay open late and offer something special for the customers,” said Diane Matthews, manager of The Village Door, a nonprofit consignment shop that benefits the Cancer Support Center. “Tonight, we dimmed our lights, put out the candles and customers can come by and collect a piece of a garland.”
The event is one of several annual special events organized by the Homewood Business Association to promote businesses throughout the year.
The Christmas event used to be called Elves Night Out, said Lisa Komorowski, president of the business association, but the event was rebranded in an effort to recover attendance after COVID-19 caused it to slump.
“This is the second year we’re doing this, and we think it’s cute and cozy,” Komorowski said.
Komorowski owns Loulou Belle, a boutique and one of the participating businesses. She was placing out charcuterie cups and spiced cider for customers as the event started.
“It is beautiful in here,” Loulou Belle customer Mary Lane said, admiring the candlelit shop.
Lane didn’t known about the event ahead of time, she said.
Another participating business was Van Sipma Jewelers, a family-owned jewelry store that marked its 125th anniversary this year.
“Last year was a really good response,” said Ashley Van Sipma.
Van Sipma is the daughter of the business’s current owners, and will eventually be the fifth generation of her family to run the shop.
“It’s a little interesting to turn the lights down for a jewelry store,” Van Sipma said, laughing. “Right? We still want everything to sparkle.”
While businesses like Van Sipma’s are community staples, other participating businesses opened recently.
Beyond the Book, a bookstore that aims to also serve as a community space and creative hub, opened in October, owner Tenia Davis said. Candlelight shopping was her first Homewood Business Association event.
“As a new business, everyone in the business association has just been so welcoming,” Davis said. “Everything has been a first, the last three, four weeks.”
Davis, who has lived in Flossmoor for more than 20 years, said she hopes to make connections and support creative projects with her business, which has a podcast studio in the back. She also wants to get involved in publishing.
“I’m excited to participate and I’m even more excited to have people come in and meet more neighbors,” Davis said.
Ten businesses participated in the event.
“It’s fun for the shoppers and residents, and it’s good exposure for the stores,” said Suzy Moore, co-owner of UpsaDaisy Boutique. UpsaDaisy Boutique offered a 25% discount for the event.
Julie Smith, the other co-owner, said she and Moore are looking forward to another business association event the last Saturday in January, when shoppers are encouraged to come in early in pajamas. The earlier customers arrive, she said, the better the discount they get, to a maximum of 50% off for those who arrive before 8 a.m.
“We will open at 7 a.m., and there’ll be people waiting,” Smith said. “People come in their pajamas, we do coffee and doughnuts and that kind of stuff.”
For Thursday’s event, UpsaDaisy Boutique had prosecco and gingerbread cookies.
Valerie Burr, a Homewood resident, said she learned about the event from her mother, Lana Graser, who saw it on social media.
“I love the hometown feel,” Burr said. The family started their evening shopping at UpsaDaisy Boutique, but said they planned to visit all the participating businesses.
While Graser doesn’t live in Homewood, she said she comes into the town frequently for such events.
“We do a lot of special events in Homewood. We’re usually here for just about every one,” Graser said. “I love Homewood, and I love my daughter, so I come to a lot of these things. I just love the atmosphere.”