APALACHICOLA, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) – Nutcrackers, candy canes, and pigs in Santa hats.

It’s Christmas time in Apalachicola, and Santa has come bearing gifts early.

The town’s Main Street has been voted number 21 in the country for Christmas shopping, and locals say they are not shocked.

“It’s not a surprise; I mean, Apalachicola is a wonderful place to shop, just like all of Franklin County,” said John Solomon, executive director of the Apalachicola Bay Chamber of Commerce.

Apalachicola makes the top 25 out of 150 U.S. towns in a survey done by Present.com.

Those who work in the town’s many locally owned shops say their town is a tourist destination for people living in bigger tourist destinations.

“We have visitors from Tallahassee, we have visitors from Panama City, Pensacola. They come here to get away from all the hustle and bustle,” said Billie Macken, an employee at Riverside Mercantile in Downtown Apalachicola.

Others say you can feel how much visitors enjoy their town.

“They love it, because they come from somewhere that’s either really touristy, busy, or big cities, and it’s just so quaint. Everybody is so friendly here, and you don’t find that a lot,” said Becca Sapienza a salesperson at BECASA.

One of the traditions that Apalachicola is most proud of is their postcards to Santa.

The postcards can be found at any of the participating businesses in Downtown Apalachicola.

Kids are meant to grab a postcard, write Santa a letter, give him their address, and mail it to the North Pole via the mailbox at the Apalachicola Chamber of Commerce building.

What happens next? After he gets it, he writes you a personal letter back.

About 130 children received letters from Santa last year.

Another reason people enjoy the town is its commitment to keeping businesses and storefronts locally owned.

“Definitely shop local. If you read the sign out front, it says, ‘Friends don’t let friends shop big stores, shop local,’” said Jo Branch, a cashier at Apalachicola Bee Company.

Those looking for their own slice of the holiday magic, downtown Apalachicola will be hosting a Holiday Fresh Market on Saturday, December 7.

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