CARIBOU, Maine – Caribou is expanding its celebration of the holidays this year in hopes of enticing more holiday shoppers.
Starting Nov. 30 on Small Business Saturday, local vendors will set up in eight wooden buildings, each eight feet by seven feet, in the area of Sweden Street’s Downtown Mall behind Brambleberry Market. Each building features large windows so that vendors can interact with customers and showcase their products. Vendors can remain inside the buildings during the market, ideal for northern Maine’s chilly winter weather.
S.W. Collins Company built the vendor booths after co-owner Sam Collins visited “Christmas Villages” in Europe that feature similarly designed buildings for local entrepreneurs. Collins donated the booths to the city in hopes of spurring a new holiday tradition, said Gary Marquis, superintendent of Caribou Parks & Recreation.
Many local crafters were already interested in setting up a Christmas market, so the timing for the specialty-made boots was perfect, Marquis said, and a good opportunity to promote all businesses.
“We want people to come [to the market] but also shop at our brick-and-mortar stores,” Marquis said. “We’re hoping that they see Caribou as the place to do their holiday shopping.”
On Small Business Saturday, the market will be open from 9 a.m. until the city’s Christmas tree lighting at 5 p.m. at Lyndon Square. The market will reopen every Saturday until Christmas from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 7, 14, and 21.
Though the vendor line-up will vary each weekend, Small Business Saturday will feature Naptime Knots, The Maple Moose, Pinetree Ornaments, Thrive Body Spa, Skin by Megan Dinneen, Create It Up North, the Caribou volunteer fire department and the city “elves,” who will be passing out lists for the holiday ornament hunt.
Local artist Christina Kane-Gibson created the Caribou Collections and Jolly Holiday Collections, the first featuring reindeer and the latter including ornaments with a penguin, wreath and hot chocolate image. Ornament hunters can pick up their lists at the “elves” stations during each market and have until Dec. 21 to find the ornaments from stores on the lists.
“This is the biggest amount of ornaments we’ve ever had. Most of the stores in town will have them,” Marquis said. “We’ll be doing different business promotions every weekend to get more people out shopping.”
Small Business Saturday will also feature many new and returning events downtown.
Caribou Fire & Ambulance has acquired a wagon that they outfitted to look like a sleigh. Volunteer drivers will use one of the city’s trail groomers to pull the wagon and give rides throughout the downtown, Marquis said.
Rides will begin at 9 a.m. at the fire station on High Street, then travel down Herschel Street and onto Page Avenue before circling back to the fire station from Coolidge Avenue, Collins Street and Main Street.
Drop-off and pick-up locations will include Caribou Municipal Building, 25 High St.; Caribou Public Library, 30 High St.; Glass With Class, 53 Herschel St.; Thrive Body Spa, 73 Sweden St.; Ruska Coffee Co., 98 Sweden St.; and the Downtown Mall’s Christmas Village.
From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., the fire department will host its annual open house, featuring Santa and Mrs. Claus, letter writing to Santa, bounce houses and face painting.
Danielle Hanson Photography will take family holiday photos from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Caribou Municipal Building, with costs being $10 for one digital photograph or $25 for three.
Caribou Public Library’s author stroll will return next Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Seven Aroostook authors will sell and sign their books: Deena Winslow, Kathryn Olmstead, Maggie Bell, Vaughn Hardacker, Belinda Wilcox Hersey, Rebecca Matley and Beverly Knowles.
The library will be raffling off two baskets of items and gift cards from local businesses, valued at $900 each, and two kindles. Raffle tickets are $3 each or $10 for 4 tickets.
This year, the city is launching a new holiday home and business decorating contest, for which folks can register until Dec. 15. After locations are announced, community members will cast their votes on Facebook or at Caribou Wellness & Recreation Center until 8 p.m. Dec. 19. Winners will be announced Dec. 20.
Correction: A previous version of this story misstated the cost for family photographs.
