MINT HILL, NC – Mark your calendars for the third annual Christmas Pop Up Shop! The brainchild of Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Paige McKinney and Pour 64 Owner Sarah Brock, the event on December 11 aims to showcase Chamber members and all businesses in the downtown area.
“People don’t really realize what we have in this town sometimes,” says Brock. “Like the Historical Society – how many people know they have a little shop back there? One year when we started doing this, I said I was going to shop as local as I possibly could before I did anything else ‘big box.’ I went to that store, and it just had so many great things in there that i never would have seen if I didn’t do that.”
The Christmas Pop Up provides a venue for businesses like the Historical Society’s shop, brick and mortar stores that don’t get as much exposure because they’re located off the main street. It’s also a way for local craftspeople and artisans who work out of their homes to showcase what they do. Ultimately, it’s all about showing what Mint Hill has to offer and encouraging people to shop local.
The event on December 11 will feature 40 vendors set up around the circle in front of Town Hall. Count on seeing a wide variety of homemade items for sale, including wreaths, ornaments, t-shirts, jewelry, mugs, blankets, aprons, hats and scarves, to name a few.
The Chamber of Commerce will also be honoring Mint Hill’s senior citizens at the Novant Health Mint Hill Medical Center booth. “We typically have 400-600 senior citizens indoors at Independence High School for the Senior Citizens Christmas party,” says McKinney. “We just wanted to be really cautious with this vulnerable population, so we’re pausing the indoor event this year, but we still wanted to have something for our seniors.” All senior citizens are invited to stop by the Novant Health Mint Hill Medical Center booth to pick up a gift bag; no pre-registration is required.
The Chamber will also be using the Christmas Pop Up to give back by collecting toys for Bright Blessings. All items for the toy drive must be new, unused, and unopened. For a list of ideas, visit https://www.brightblessingsusa.org/minthillchambercollectiondrive.
In addition to local retailers, the Christmas Pop Up will feature three different food vendors offering everything from savory lunch items like hot dogs and barbecue to sweet treats like waffles and cider. Everyone is welcome to grab a complimentary hot chocolate to sip while they stroll., and don’t forget to grab a photo in front of Mint Hill’s Christmas tree!
Strolling past the 16-foot tall Christmas tree sipping a hot chocolate and shopping for Christmas gifts: the third annual Christmas Pop Up promises to be a true “Hallmark Movie” moment. “We are always interested in doing anything with the town to bring more people out here,” says Brock. “It’s such a great small town, and I think we need to try a little harder to bring that ‘small town feel’ to our hometown.”
The third annual Christmas Pop Up will take place on December 11 from 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm in front of Town Hall. Event parking will be available next to Town Hall, and you can expect to see parking attendants directing traffic. For more information, visit the event’s Facebook Page.
