Main Street Stettler was a busy place on Friday, Dec. 23 as businesses and residents came together to celebrate the shopping extravaganza known as The Night Before the Night Before.
With local businesses staying open late, offering up spectacular deals, festive treats and once-a-year activities, it was the perfect opportunity for Stettler and area residents to not only secure some last-minute Christmas presents, but also support local businesses.
Bonnie Swainston, a Stettler resident and substitute teacher, said she looks forward to the shopping day every year.
"I do rather like my Night Before the Night Before," she said, as she browsed the shelves at Wish. She said some businesses, like Wish, Home Hardware and Party Maxx are ones she makes sure to visit every Christmas.
"I'm finding everything," she said. "I just know that every time I come through here (Wish), there's something quirky I can't find anywhere else."
Swainston's daughter headed to Red Deer to do some final Christmas shopping, and phoned home to say she regretted it.
"She spent the whole day shopping," Swainston said. "She said it's crazy, and people are aggressive."
The kind, generous and courteous shopping experience is one of the factors that makes Stettler's The Night Before the Night Before such a perfect shopping experience.
"There's no aggression here," she said.
Most of Main Street's retail businesses remained open late, some until as late as 9 p.m., ensuring everyone had the opportunity to finish shopping.
Before the official start of the shopping extravaganza, Santa Claus came into town on his sleigh, setting up shop in front of Wells Furniture. There, he gave out candy bags and heard last-minute present hopes from children, while parents captured the moment on camera.
Santa remained for several hours, bolstered by a hot water bottle that helped him combat the cool temperatures – which, despite the chill, were much preferable to last week's deep freeze.
A petting zoo with sheep from James Nibourg's farm was also set up outside of Wells, attracting the youngest children who were able to feed the three woolly mammals handfuls of hay.
Young Owen Beaumont, who came with his mom and dad from Paintearth County, ensured each sheep was fed while his parents stood around the fire barrel to warm up.
The store kept the fire going all through the evening, ensuring shoppers had a place to warm up.
When the clock tolled six, the tractor with its hay wagon started making its way up and down Main, offering free rides to adults and children alike. Free balloons were handed out by businesses, as well as delicious treats.
Danny Missikewitz, owner of Party Maxx in Stettler, said the shopping evening was "very strong."
"It's really nice to see the community come together," he said. "It brings families together."
The store donated 10 per cent of sales to the Student Christian Fellowship (SCF) mission trip to Guatemala this summer.
"People have really embraced (the mission)," he said. "We really want to thank them."
Over at Pharmasave, special home-made treats awaited shoppers.
"We had some free chocolates for the customers," Wendy Westlund, the store's front manager, said. "Renee, one of our employees, made nuts'n'bolts, so we've been sharing that with customers as well."
Westlund has only been in Stettler for about three years now, coming to the community from Edmonton – which has a very different vibe, she said.
"I think (the Night Before the Night Before) is fantastic," she said. "It promotes shopping local, and brings people to some of the businesses they may not normally come to."
She said Stettler's vibrant, healthy downtown bucks the trend seen in many communities, and events like the Night Before the Night Before is one of the reasons why downtown remains healthy.
"Events like this bring people downtown, and reminds them about businesses they may not think of," she said.