MISSOULA — The tree is ready to be lit and the streets were prepared for the Holidays on Higgins parade on Saturday as small businesses in Missoula continued using Holidays on Higgins to engage with the community.
After starting the day off with Santa at the Missoula Public Library Missoula residents and their families could visit some of the local businesses downtown for fun holiday-themed activities.
The businesses took this opportunity to engage with the community and get more foot traffic into their buildings.
“I mean we are staffed to the gills downstairs we filled the entire first floor with tables so families can come in and paint, our gallery is full of tables our hallway is full of tables… and we have plates galore for people to paint so it’s definitely not business as usual but it’s a lot of fun," said Zootown Arts Community Center Education Director Joe Kirk.
Holidays on Higgins bringing more people to downtown stores is not an accident, the Downtown Missoula Partnership set up this event so businesses could run special events.
Mary’s Mountain Cookies owner Kara McCracken says she is appreciative of Missoula putting an emphasis on its local businesses during the holidays.
“I think supporting a local business is really what the heart of Missoula is all about and I really value that the downtown association makes this an annual event and that they give us the liberty to choose how we want to impact our downtown.”
The tree lighting and parade began at 6 p.m. on Saturday at the Red X's on North Higgins.
