This weekend downtown merchants will open their doors to the public for a special holiday open house.

The event officially kicked off Friday, but will continue through Sunday.

Local shops are having special holiday sales and it’s a good chance for residents to see what these merchants have to offer before the hectic holiday season kicks into high gear.

For many of us, this weekend is a holiday tradition. The open house weekend is the official start of the shopping season, and it’s filled with visits to the Square or to favorite local merchants, enjoying familiar faces as we peruse the latest sales.

This year, perhaps more than ever, we need to heed the reminder to shop at home during the holiday season.

It’s a fact that most residents are going to spend large sums of money this holiday season.

So, why not keep your money in the county?

A city’s retail base is one of the most important economic indicators of progress, growth and prosperity.

But, with local governments falling short of the much-needed sales tax revenue at the end of the last budget year, residents could help turn things around by simply spending more at home.

The money you spend locally supports your friends and neighbors who own local businesses – whether the shopkeepers themselves or the employees who work for them. And, it’s oft-quoted that each dollar we spend locally turns over some seven times in our economy, so the impact can be tremendous.

Let’s not forget our local schools get a percentage of sales tax revenue, which is much-needed with yet another year of proration.

If you’re still not convinced, why not take a small portion of your time and head out and you’ll find quality, hometown service, which is nothing short of friendly smiles and knowledgeable sales staff.

We encourage everyone to go out to the open houses downtown and throughout Troy today and Sunday, and in downtown Brundidge throughout the month. It’s a perfect way to start off the holiday shopping season, all while helping to strengthen the local economy.