When Woodmen Community Center marketing and special events director Sue Ellen Maddux planned for the preview party to kick off the inaugural Holly Jolly Holiday Show, she said the goal was to sell 300 tickets for the event.
Thursday’s preview party went far beyond what Maddux imagined, as 372 tickets were purchased.
“We want to thank our sponsors and vendors for everything,” Maddux said.
The success of the preview party carried on into Friday, as center assistant Victoria Morris said there was a steady stream of customers from the day’s beginning.
“We had a pretty long line when we opened, and it hasn’t stopped since,” Morris said. “Word of mouth has definitely helped us, along with the people getting ready for holiday shopping.”
La Grange resident Brenda Owens was among those looking to handle her Christmas shopping early.
“I bought lots of presents, so I can check people off of my list,” Owens said.
Shirrie Brandenburg, owner of Paparazzi — a store which sells jewelry and accessories — made a quick decision about coming back for a future event after the support on Thursday.
“We were only open for two hours and I made the decision of coming back next year,” Brandenburg said. “The people here are very nice, and the customers have been great. Overall, it’s been a very fun experience.”
Trisha Owens and Katherine Pearson, creative partners at Initials Inc., were excited about the preview party. The company specializes in purses, totes and organizational items with monogramming.
“We were pleasantly surprised by the success we had Thursday night,” Pearson said. “This was a great way to get our business and name out there.”
Owens appreciated the location, as the two hail from Kinston.
“It’s great for Kinston to have something like this, and it is a great opportunity for local vendors,” Owens said.
Dan Spangler, owner of A Dog’s Dream, said he would love to come back to Kinston.
“We’ve been well received here, and people want us to come out here more often,” Spangler said of his New Bern company, which provides dog care. “If there are any shows in Kinston, we want to be here.”
Tim Duggins, the general sales manager of Spice Bouquet, was excited about having a venue in Kinston and said the company will continue to support the city.
“Our company will definitely be involved next year,” Duggins said. “We’ve been to other venues in places like Greenville and New Bern, but it’s good to have one in our own town.”
Another city vendor, Rags, focused on men’s button up shirts, neckties and belts.
“This has helped spread our brand, especially with us being local and meeting local people,” Rags owner Grayson Parker said. “We’re an online retailer and don’t have a storefront, so this has definitely helped.”
Customers shared the same enjoyment as the vendors. La Grange resident Jordan Harrison the experience of the show was new to her, but exciting.
“This is the first time I’ve been to something like this, and it’s really fun to see all of the local vendors,” Harrison said.
Kathleen Crosby, who lives in Hookerton, enjoyed the event and the numerous vendors.
“I really like the event, especially the monogram stuff,” Crosby said. “This is a nice place to find all kinds of things.”
Maddux has projections for the event.
“Our anticipation is 3,000 people to come out to the show,” Maddux said.
WRNS will be having ticket giveaways today and tomorrow for the Scotty McCreery concert on Dec. 5 at the Woodmen Community Center. Patrons can register for a chance to win a pair of tickets at a table in front of the Holiday Show. Two winners will be chosen each day.
Junious Smith III can be reached at 252-559-1077 and Junious.Smith@Kinston.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JuniousSmithIII.
Breakout box: Here is the schedule and admission prices for the final two days of the Holly Jolly Holiday Show:
Today: 10 a.m.-7 p.m.
Sunday: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Admission is $8 per person, children under 10 accompanied by a parent or guardian are free.