The Oxford-Lafayette Chamber of Commerce invites all to celebrate the beginnings of holiday season with the Shop Oxford Holiday Open House on Sunday, Nov. 7, at the downtown Square from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Now is the time to get started on holiday shopping and what better way than to join the festivities at the Square? The public can shop among local businesses that are putting out their seasonal product during the special holiday shopping hours. 

The open house will feature businesses and organizations such as Cicada, Lafayette County Master Gardeners, Legacy Photography, The Mustard Seed Antique Mall, Sneed’s Ace Hardware, Sugar Magnolia and Threads to name just a few.

“I think it’s a great opportunity to be able to serve the community and offer them a glimpse into what products and services I offer this time of year,” said Stephanie Garneau, owner of Legacy Photography. Legacy Photography will have a table at the open house offering Christmas card, wall and album designs and gift portraits to potential customers. 

Entrepreneurs are happy to get the holiday season started off even earlier and encourage the public to buy and support their local businesses.

“The Chamber and Shop Oxford allows business owners to gain exposure in the community and connect and network with other business owners,” said Garneau. 

President of the Lafayette County Master Gardeners Nancy Kesselring said the exposure is important for organizations like them who want to reach a wider audience. 

“We’re trying to become more visible in the community,” said Kesselring. “We have community projects throughout the year and we want to let the community know what we can do for them. We want to let them know what the master gardeners are all about.”

Master Gardeners will have a table at the open house where all the inquiries and concerns the community has about their gardens or land can be addressed.

However, the open house is not just about shopping. The community can find holiday gift ideas and participate in kids’ holiday crafts, special giveaways, a grand holiday gift basket raffle, holiday music, hot chocolate, cookies, and much more.

“It’s a very festive time of year. My kids love to go out on the Square, walk around and see the lights,” said Garneau. “For families, Oxford offers a lot to do especially during this time of year,”

For more information on Shop Oxford Holiday Open House, www.oxfordms.com/chamber-of-commerce/programs-and-events/shop-oxford/.