Gift shops, boutiques and other local businesses are opening their doors for the very first Haymarket Harvest on Thursday.
From 4-8 p.m. on Thursday, attendants can shop at participating Haymarket shops with exclusive discounts. The event, hosted by the Lincoln Haymarket Development Corporation and Downtown Lincoln Association, aims to support local businesses.
Tickets are $5 and can be purchased online or at the door. Attendants should go to the Railyard to check in and receive a map of participating businesses.
Maggie Pickrel-Smith, the downtown group’s director of events and outreach, said there is a mixture of businesses that have a long history in the Haymarket as well as some newer shops participating.
“The main goal really is to introduce people to market retailers that they’ve never known about before but then also just to get some good business strummed up for these Haymarket businesses,” Pickrell-Smith said.
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Best of Big Red, 3 Daughters Boutique Lincoln, Burlington Antiques and Ten Thousand Villages Lincoln are just a few of the businesses offering discounts. A full list can be found on the Haymarket Harvest Facebook event page.
While this is the first time for the Haymarket Harvest, Pickrell-Smith said businesses in the area have hosted similar events during the Christmas season. The goal is to turn it into an annual event after getting feedback from Thursday’s event.
An after-party will be held in the Railyard from 8-10 p.m. It will include a DJ and a photo booth for participants to get printed pictures. The bar businesses will also be open for drink purchases.
Pickrell-Smith said that throughout the after-party, they will be giving away raffle prizes. Participants will receive raffle tickets for every $20 spent at the participating businesses.
“Especially these days, shopping local is extremely important,” Pickrell-Smith said. “It’s also really great to see a vibrant, historic Haymarket. It’s supposed to be so pretty and it’s so great to see people walking around and supporting each other.”
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