CULLMAN, Ala. – When the Hay People disappear and the Cullman County Veterans Day Celebration is over, Cullman locals know that can only mean one thing: Christmas Open House is upon them. Each year the Cullman Area Chamber of Commerce hosts the Cullman Area Christmas Open House, allowing participating businesses to showcase their giftable items and generate business to kick off the busy holiday shopping season. Events will be held all weekend long, around various businesses and popular spots.
Beginning at 3 p.m. on Friday Nov. 10, in the Chamber of Commerce breezeway, drink hot cocoa and snap the perfect holiday picture with Santa until 5. Children’s activities, pop-up shops and other entertainment options will be open and take place until 6; inside the Chamber of Commerce building there will be a $10 drop-in Sips and Strokes class hosted by Cullman’s own Emily Bussman, allowing guests to craft the perfect ornament for their Christmas tree.
On Saturday, Nov. 11, festivities in the Chamber breezeway will begin at 10 a.m., with Santa and hot cocoa available until 1 p.m. and pop-up shops until 4. The Chamber Express Show will also make its rounds to a handful of spots, stopping at the Chamber breezeway at 10:30 a.m., Festhalle at 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., and rounding out the tour at the Hanceville Public Library at 3:30 p.m.
For the very first time, Christmas Open House will feature a Cookie Crawl. The first 200 participants who arrive at the Chamber of Commerce on Saturday, Nov 11 at 10 a.m. will receive a ticket (one ticket per household). Each ticket buys recipients a cookie box and the ability to fill the cookie box by visiting multiple businesses around Cullman County.
Cullman Area Chamber of Commerce Director of Programs and Events Paige Clabo said, “This is a brand new event that we are bringing to the Chamber this year.” The Hartselle Chamber of Commerce has included a community Cookie Crawl in its Christmas Open House for years, bringing new life and business to small shops. Clabo continued, “After speaking with (Cullman Area Chamber of Commerce President) Joey Orr, we thought this would be a great opportunity to draw people from the city to the county and to also be able to feature more of our community businesses during this time.”
A list of participating businesses can be found at www.cullmanopenhouse.com. Look for the cookie beside participating businesses to locate the cookie stops around Cullman.
The final day of the Christmas Open House begins at 1 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 12, again in the Chamber breezeway, with Santa available for photos until 3 p.m., and pop-up shops open until 4.
All Christmas Open House children’s activities and crafts are free to the public, including photos with Santa and hot cocoa. Parents and caregivers will need to take their own photos, as there will be no professional photographer on-site.
The Cullman Area Chamber of Commerce is located at 301 Second Ave. SW, Cullman, AL 35055. Find out more at www.facebook.com/cullmanopenhouse.
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