Alvin M. Keeling 
NORTH GEORGETOWN – Looking to jump in your holiday gift shopping?
You might want to start this weekend with several small businesses from North Georgetown and the surrounding area taking part in the 14th Annual Small Town Christmas Tour, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Buyers who visit one of the participating businesses will receive a stamp card and collect additional stamps for each store they stop by. Those who win 10 or more stamps will be entered to win a raffle basket containing freebies from each of the stores.
“Most of them are small businesses and start all of their businesses,” said Bryce Sanor of Maple Valley Farm, who helped organize the event. “Lots of crafts, primitives, handmade stuff.”
Other items that shoppers can expect to find at participating stores include maple syrup, chocolates, candy, jewelry, wreaths, decorations and tote bags. The North Georgetown Fire Station and Emmanuel Lutheran Church will also host a variety of local vendors.
Participating companies
Stop # 1: Ted and Diana Hawk’s restored 1898 Victorian home of Queen Ann
Stop # 2: Maple Valley Farm, 5271 Rochester Road, Homeworth
Stop # 3: Holiday Hall of Vendors at the North Georgetown Fire Hall
Stop # 4: Emmanuel Lutheran Church, 27485 Main St., North Georgetown
Stop # 5: Susie’s Gifts n Things, 24656 Georgetown Road, Homeworth
Stop # 6: Western Columbiana County Historical Society, 4355 Homeworth Road, Homeworth
Stop # 7: Flohr Farms and Flowers, 23342 Bowman Rd, Homeworth
Stop # 8: Rivers Bend Farm, 659 Knox School Riad, Knox Township.
Stop # 9: Naturiffic, 5157 Union Ave. NE, Homeworth
Stop # 10: The Old Milk House, 22107 State Route 172, Minerva
Stop 11: Stone House Gardens, 9769 Lowmiller Road, Minerva
Stop 12: Dream Hill Cottage, 10325 Kensington Road, Kensington
Stop # 13: Days Gone By, 13925 State Route 644, Hanoverton
Stop # 14: Hanoverton Hardware, 9939 State Route 9, Hanoverton
Stop # 15: Woolf Farm, 6051 State Route 9, Salem
Stop # 16: Spencer Meats, 11635 Smith Goshen Road, Beloit
Buyers can pick up their stamp cards at any of these businesses and do not need to follow a particular order to enter the raffle.
The event coincides with Small Business Saturday, a national effort to encourage buyers to visit their local businesses. Sanor said it is important to support local businesses because buyers can directly see the impact they are having on them.
“You know who you’re helping when you shop with us,” he said. “You can see who we are, you can talk to us. Every owner will be sitting behind that desk at their checkout that day.”
Sebring for holiday celebration
The Village of Sebring plans to kick off the holiday season with its Christmas Festival returning at 4 p.m. on December 4 at Harvest Park. The event will begin with a live nativity scene and Christmas carols followed by a tree lighting ceremony.
Next, a Christmas parade will begin on Pennsylvania Avenue and 15th Street, ending at Sebring McKinley High School. Sam Barnhouse of Gednetz-Ruzek & Brown Funeral Home said the company will be hosting a free Christmas party after the parade.
“Santa will be here at the funeral home taking free photos, and then we’ll also have a big cookie table and a bunch of holiday snacks and refreshments,” Barnhouse said.
The Christmas parade and party were canceled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Sebring will also organize its interior design competition. Residents must register and have their displays complete and lit from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on December 4. The winners will be announced during the tree lighting ceremony.
Contact Paige at 330-580-8577 or pmbennett@gannett.com, or on Twitter at @paigembenn.
