Downtown Homewood hosts holiday open house

The shops in downtown Homewood were decked in string lights and greenery on Thursday, Nov. 2, for the annual Holiday Open House.

The chamber-hosted event is in its 17th year and offers a chance for storefronts on 18th Street South and elsewhere in the downtown area to draw new customers and offer special sales. Many participating businesses have already decorated their front windows and interiors for the holidays, and Christmas items including ornaments and other decor was for sale.

Some shops brought their products out to the sidewalks, and Penzey's Spices and Alabama Goods vendor Bee Creek Farm were among those offering free samples of their goods.

Other storefronts lured customers indoors with music, sales, wine and finger foods, and Seibels at 2927 18th Street South served up cups of chili.

The event was held from 5 to 8:30 p.m., and a trolley transported shoppers around downtown. Charlie Thomas, who has been a Santa for 15 years and has played the role in Homewood's Christmas parade the past five years, was on hand to take pictures and hear children's Christmas wishes.

"Seeing the smiles on their faces just warms Santa's heart," Thomas said.

The chamber's goal in hosting the open house is to help locally-owned businesses succeed and encourage customers to shop local for their holiday needs.