The fourth annual Leader Christmas Preview, a holiday shopping event, will be held from 6-9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 5, at the Lexington Inn, 1200 West Gannon Drive, in Festus.
Admission is free.
The event, sponsored by Leader Publications, offers shoppers the chance to do their Christmas shopping without the hassle of traveling far or braving the mall scene. Local businesses will be on hand, offering a sampling of their merchandise for sale. Shoppers will be able to buy items on the spot in many cases; some larger items, personalized items or last-minute gifts may need to be picked up at the vendor’s store.
The Jefferson County and Southern Railroad Club will return this year, displaying its ever-popular HO-scale model train layout. Although club members will not have any train equipment or supplies for sale, they will be happy to talk about suppliers they’ve worked with and make recommendations for local stores and Internet suppliers for those wishing to start a train layout.
Leader sales manager Glenda Potts said shoppers will find a lot to like.
“We are excited to celebrate the amazing diversity of opportunities shoppers have right here in Jefferson County,” Potts said. “Talk about a broad scope! We’ll have everything from a car dealership to a tree farm and lots in between. We may even still come up with a few surprises.”
Some vendors already signed up for the event include Top Score Gamerooms, Metro Office Supply and Frey Communications, all in Festus; King Daddy’s Catering in Hillsboro; Hearth and Home and the Giggle Box, both in De Soto; Twin City Toyota in Herculaneum; Stone House Furniture in Farmington; Mother Earth Pillows in Arnold; Meert Tree Farm in southern Jefferson County; as well as Scentsy candles and Costco.
Poppy’s Ristorante will have a booth and will be selling wine by the bottle.
Santa Claus will be on hand to visit with children of all ages, and the Leader staff will provide musical entertainment. Caterers will provide free food samples, and a cash bar will be open.
A special preview section with information about participating vendors will be published in the Dec. 4 issue of the Leader.
Booth spaces may still be available. For more information, call the newspaper office at 636-931-7560.