Merchants in Brookhaven will soon be harking to hear the jingle bells of cash registers this Christmas season.

Thirty members of the Brookhaven-Lincoln County Chamber of Commerce are participating in this year’s Christmas open house, which will be Nov. 4 from 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.

“It’s one of the busiest shopping days of the season in Brookhaven,” said Katie Nations, program chair for the Chamber. “It kicks off the holiday season.”

Merchants on that day usually do something special, said Linda Day at Beyond the Rainbow. Her daughter, Anna Douchard, usually goes all out to create a festive shopping experience for their customers.

She said shoppers are ready when the doors open.

“They start early in the morning,” she said. “They want to try to make it to all the stores.”

Many merchants offer holiday refreshments as well as store specials. The open house is a good time to get deals, she said, and many take advantage of it.

“I love seeing all the people and he families together,” she said. “They’ll shop together. A lot of mothers and daughters come in. It’s a yearly thing they look forward to.”

Nations likes to see the crowds visiting the shops around town.

“We just want to support shopping local and keeping your Christmas dollars in Brookhaven,” she said.

Chamber officials are busy planning two other holiday events.

Applications are available at the Chamber office for Miss Merry Christmas.

The search is on for a young woman filled with holiday spirit who can lead this year’s Christmas parade.

Miss Merry Christmas will serve as the Chamber’s ambassador for holiday events in November and December and will ride in front during the annual Christmas parade.

The contest is open to young girls in their senior year of high school to 20 years old.

Rita Rich, a former Christmas committee chairwoman for the Chamber, founded the Miss Merry Christmas program in the mid 1990s as a way of creating more interest in the parade without detracting from the parade itself.

Nations encourages those who want to apply to do so as soon as possible. The selection will be Nov. 2.

Applications are also available for annual Christmas parade, which will be Nov. 30 beginning at 6:30 p.m. The theme is “All American Christmas.”

WWII veterans will serve as grand marshals and ride in a heated van at the beginning of the parade.

Veterans should call the Chamber at 601-833-1411 by Nov. 16 so they can coordinate their transportation.

Parade forms are also available at the Chamber for any group that wants to participate. Entry fee is $35.

Nov. 30th at 6:30… if they want to participate , applications on website.

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WW2 veterans from greatest generation.

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Linda Day