Posted at: 11/30/2009 6:24 PM | KSAX.com
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Ready for Alexandria's "Hometown Christmas Experience?"

Alexandria's Hometown Christmas Experience 'Tis the season for spending, and downtown Alexandria is trying to cash-in on Holiday sales through special deals, extended hours, and fun events.

Black friday brought success to a number of local businesses, like Tammy Sheldon’s used sporting goods store, Roundabout Sports.

Here, winter sports items were going fast.

"We did a lot more than what I thought we were going to do," Sheldon said. "I thought all the customers would go out to the big-box stores, the Targets, Walmarts, but we had our share."

20 percent-off the entire store brought folks dashing to Ben Franklin, while other businesses  

At Alextronics, Sony TV's proved to be the top Black Friday item, and that’s what Jonathon Iveland’s customers were after.

His advice for holiday shoppers:

"If you’re looking for top of the line, shop local."

Echoing that sentiment:  Alexandria’s Downtown Merchant’s Association wants you to shop locally, and they’re promoting it through several holiday events.

Dawn Geseike owns Dawn's Quilt shop in Alexandria, and is a part of the Merchant's Association. She wants you to know that shop owners are pulling out all the stops for shoppers.

"We all have our colorful decorations and lights on to welcome you in…there’s probably about thirty businesses you can shop," Geseike said. 

From thursday to sunday, Alexandria's Hometown Christmas Experience will be held in downtown Alexandria.  With appearances by Mrs. Santa Claus, horse-drawn carriage rides, and even a pair of diamond earrings to be given away, the experience is designed to give shoppers an experience they can’t get at major retail stores.

And, says Geseike, that's an important part of the local economy.

"You want to spend your dollar here locally to help the economy locally as opposed to going somewhere else, driving, or going to a big box store."

For more information and a schedule of events, visit the Alexandria Downtown Merchant's Assocation at http://www.downtownalexandria.com/ 

Written for the web by Matt Standal