WEST LIBERTY,
Iowa—The weekend before Thanksgiving, downtown West Liberty comes to life for their Holiday Open House. West Liberty Chamber of Commerce Director Melissa Stagg put it best. “It helps us kick off the holiday season on the right foot. This year’s West Liberty Holiday Open
House, set for Nov. 21, will feature several new events, sure to inspire even the least festive of people.

Though the Holiday Open House does not officially get going until 2 p. m., plenty of activities will start at the Muscatine County Fair Grounds well before that. Beginning at 11 a. m., attendees may park their cars and purchase a packaged lunch. They may also peruse a wide variety of vendor stands that will offer every kind of good imaginable for sale. Stagg also encourages people to visit the Festival of Trees for a Cause. Different businesses and organizations will set up holiday tree displays. People can vote for their favorite by making a monetary donation. All of the money will go directly to the non-profit that set it up or to a charity selected by participating businesses.

To help manage traffic in downtown and make it safer for pedestrians moving in between
shops, people may park for free at the Muscatine County Fairgrounds and then take a free golf cart shuttle into downtown. Shuttles will run throughout the afternoon until about 6 p. m., giving people convenient transportation whenever they need it.

Around 12 p. m., many downtown businesses will open their doors, giving people plenty of time to check out their wares and enjoy their special deals. Along with having special sales or promotions, many stores will give away special holiday treats, such as mugs of cocoa or cider or tasty candy canes or cookies or host special activities for kids to enjoy. Some businesses will also have special events going on for adults too, such as free chair massages. With more than 25 businesses participating, everyone can find something they would like to stop by and see.

As attendees walk from store to store, they can take part in some outside special events as well. The Aquarius Club will host a marshmallow roast and several fire pits will give people the chance to warm up if they get a little chilly. Several reindeer will also fly in ahead of Santa and Mrs. Claus’ visit. As the evening winds to a close, the Clauses will invite everyone to gather at city hall for the annual tree lighting ceremony and the rededication of the Statue of Liberty statue which city staff had to move during recent construction at city hall.

Before people get too overwhelmed with the holiday hubbub, Stagg hopes they will stop down to West Liberty and enjoy their Holiday Open House. “It a great time to bring people together and for businesses to get their messages out there,” said Stagg. “It’s as close to a Christmas movie or a Norman Rockwell as we can get!”