Downtown merchants have banded together to entice residents of Prince George to make their way to the heart of the city to see what the stores have to offer.
Shop Free Downtown, sponsored by the Downtown Business Improvement Association (DBIA) and the Prince George Citizen, offers patrons weekly prizes worth $300 each and a grand prize of a $1,000 shopping spree at any participating merchants. The contest starts today and goes until Sept. 24.
"I want to encourage people to come downtown," said Shirley Irving co-owner of Honey Tree. "So many people never come downtown so you gotta put the carrot out."
Irving has had the Honey Tree in the same downtown location, 1362 Second Avenue, since 1986.
"I grew up here. I like it," said Irving.
The DBIA wants to help promote all downtown businesses, with the focus in September being the merchants, said Carla Johnston, chair of events and promotions for the DBIA.
"We're trying to put together a variety of events and this one is to showcase our retailers by getting foot traffic into the stores downtown," said Johnston. "People can enter the contest at one of the participating merchants and we will be giving one or more prizes away each week."
Some merchants participating include Eric's World of Leisure, Kathy's Quilt Shop, Les Beaux Visage, Dandylines, City Furniture, Northern Hardware, Topaz Bead, Ruins, Coast Inn of the North, McInnis Lighting, Kumbayaz Native Arts, Plateau and JJ Springer.
Following the Shop Free Downtown event will be an event to feature the local downtown professionals like accountants, lawyers, doctors and dentists and eye care professionals.
During the holidays the DBIA will gather items from downtown businesses that will be included with a tree to be auctioned off at the Festival of Trees, an event hosted by the Spirit of the North Healthcare Foundation.
