 Hi, I'm Anne Watson. I'm the mayor of Montpelier, Vermont. I'm so pleased to be talking with you today about Montpelier's downtown. I've been a resident here in Montpelier for over 10 years, and I've been on the city council for over six years, so I've been spending a lot of time thinking about Montpelier's future and the future of our downtown. Having a vital and vibrant downtown is critical for any small town. It doesn't just happen by accident. It takes intention and a community that prides itself in its downtown. We have many family-owned businesses that depend on the patronage of local residents. As you probably are aware, Montpelier is the only state capital in the country that doesn't have a McDonald's, a Walmart, or a Starbucks. The voices that you're about to hear are from our local merchants. Hey, this is Allie from number nine boutique and the alley in downtown Montpelier. Come in and choose from lots of casual clothing that'll keep you warm all winter long. We have tights and socks, galore, lots of scarves and gloves and hats to keep you warm as well. While you're here, you can check out our lingerie, a lot of undergarments, bras, underwear, spanks, and intimates. And don't forget the alley in the back. Antique. Hi, I'm Corrie Wilcox from Rome, Vermont on Langdon Street in Montpelier. We're a new outdoor lifestyle footwear and apparel shop with a great selection of the coziest sweaters and accessories for keeping snug this winter. We have what you're looking for, whether you need professional pieces for the office, a few insulating layers to pile on for an adventure down your local trails, or super soft ware for days in by the fire. We have all your favorite brands like Patagonia, Kool, Prana, Smartwool, Boggs, and Sorrell just to name a few. Consider giving the gift of cozy ware or a Rome gift card this holiday season. Come see us today on Langdon Street in Montpelier to find the softest pieces that you have to feel to believe and explore in style. Hi, folks. This is Kip from Unning River Outdoors. The Christmas holiday season, we have lots of skis, skate skis, classic skis for the whole family, lease skis, as well as lots of back country skis, intractoring skis, snowshoes, of course, all of the soft goods, hats, gloves to go along with it, ski gear, and fat bikes, including fat bike rentals. So this holiday season, we're going to have all kinds of gear to help get you outside, sleds for the whole family. This is Jane at Yarn. And I'm Lee at Yarn. Come on down this holiday season to get your favorite faux fur pom-poms. We've got brand new Knitter's Pride row counter rings, and they're very cool because they fit on your finger and you can keep track of your rows and be fashion forward and knitting organized. And my new favorite yarn that has teeny tiny little sequins in it. Which is called Icon. It's a trendsetter yarn. It's a brush doll packet. It's very soft and very fluffy, but sturdy enough for almost anything you would care to knit out of it. My favorite yarn this season is not that. My favorite yarn this season is Juniper Moon Patagonia. It's a good old fashioned hard wool. Good for color work, good for sweaters, good for mittens, good for hats. There's really nothing it won't do, maybe not sheets. So come down for all your knitting holiday needs. We're here to help. Hi, this is Eric from Capital Stationers in downtown Montpelier, by Local Made Products. We carry lots of items made right here in Vermont. Eat more kale, Burke Mountain Confectionery, delicious chocolates from Lake Champlain Chocolates. We have a great line of skita hats made in Burlington, Vermont. Hi, this is Willis from Cool Jules, your beadmeister for planet earth. I'm a fixture in town. Been on the corner state in Maine for 20 years. I sell beads, rocks, jewelry. We have a box with 400,000 beads that kids and people who like to be kids can go through. And we have a good time selling witch balls. We sell hoodies. We sell mala beads. We sell soapstone figurines. Hi, it's Jess from Capital Kitchen, and I'm so excited about the holiday season here in downtown Montpelier this year. I have more inventory than I've ever had before. Tons of bakeware, lots of made in the USA products, including burnt pans and sheet pans, all sorts of gadgets. Christmas cookie cutters are just about to hit the shelves. They're made right in Rutland, Vermont, and they're wonderful. Lots and lots of holiday dish towels, which are one of the most popular things here during the holiday shopping season, holiday mugs, and presents for everyone in your life who loves to cook, and even for people who don't like to cook, people who love to drink coffee or tea. Hi, my name is Mary Kay. I own Delish Montpelier Sweet Shop, and we are the place for stopping stuffers for Christmas. We have all your favorites from childhood, hand-pulled candy canes, and some just wonderful things that I have been shopping for months for. I can't wait to see you. Have a great Christmas. This is Deborah from Artisan's Handcraft Gallery. We're featuring a variety of artists who make handmade ornaments and all kinds of media, porcelain, wood, fiber, glass, paper, pewter, and natural gourds. We will have extended hours starting December 10th through Christmas. This holiday season, we are marking our 40th anniversary, so we have a lot to celebrate. Welcome to the Cheshire Cat. It's a wonderland of beautiful art and art wear. We have featured artists every other month. We have a new featured artist. Right now we've got Robin's Hoods, which are beautiful felted hats. We also have these beautiful paintings and cards. They were both here for Art Walk, which was a fun festive night, and this is just one of the best times of year. We're a little off the beaten path, but it's worth the extra trip. At Global Gifts, we have unique gifts from around the world, wool hats, gloves, and mittens knit in Nepal, a pack of blankets from Ecuador, table linens, budas, scarves, sterling jewelry, and stocking stuffers galore on Artsy Langdon Street. Hi, this is Lauren Andrews from Arrow Metaroma Therapy at 8th State Street in Montpelier. Foods are all of our CBD products, our essential oils, our essential oil diffusers, and gemstones and all of our natural body care products. Come on in, and we'd love to see you. Hi, this is Karen at Woodbray Mountain Toys. The store is jam-packed with so many fun science projects, arts and crafts, puppets, stuffed animals, puzzles, Legos, and board games. We have stocking stuffers for everyone on your list, no matter how young or old they are. My inventory grows daily, and you won't believe the fun you will find at Woodbray Mountain Toys. We will be open late on Fridays, and as always, open seven days a week. Hi, this is Jane from Cocoa Bean. We have a really nice selection of handmade chocolates for gifts giving this holiday season. Choose from Red Raspberry, sea salted caramel whiskey truffles, lavender and honey. Pick up chocolate assortments, gift baskets, and locally poured candles, and so much more. Happy holidays. Hi, this is Adrienne at Alavita, 27th State Street in Montpelier. We offer one stop shopping for the holidays. Olive oils, balsamics, wines, salts, prepared foods for Thanksgiving, and our oil and vinegar gift packs, breadboards, dipping bowls, maple products, wines, and monthly wine club memberships make great gifts for the holidays. New indoor seating available for breakfast and lunch Monday through Friday, so stop by. Hi, this is Sandra Connison from the Quirky Pet, and the dogs and birds and I would just like to wish you a very happy holiday season. This year I am featuring all made in Vermont products in the back for people, and I have a lot of new cat toys and dog toys that have never been seen before in Vermont. Hi, it's Sharon from Salambutik in our new location at 50th State Street in downtown Montpelier. Your favorite brands, including three people, Frye, Hobo Cut Looslin, Locally Designed Jewelry, and more. And of course our locally designed Salam brand. We're open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., and we hope to see you there. Happy holidays. Hi, I'm Sonia, and I co-own Botanical Florals with my sister Sarah. We're located at 10th State Street here in Montpelier. With all the upcoming holidays, we will be stocking the store with a great selection of fresh flowers. We'll have a variety of holiday plants, plants like poinsettia, Christmas cactus, and even the ever-friendly frosty fern. We'll also have paper white bulbs, centerpieces, boxwood trees, fresh holiday greens, wreaths, both decorated and undecorated, gift certificates, and a lot more. We're here to help you with all your holiday decorating needs. Stop by and visit us at 10 State Street, or give us a call at 229-988-85, and let us help you ring in the holidays. Happy holidays. Hi, this is Isla from J. Langdon. We have great selection of art and antiques, so come on down and shop for your friends and family. I'm Claire Benedict from Bearpond Books in Montpelier. We have tons of new gifts and books in for the holidays, and we have a lot of great things upstairs in the kids' room. We have puzzles and games. We have stuffed animals, and we have a lot of gift items downstairs, too, as well as all of our great books, best sellers, staff picks. We have box holiday cards and calendars, so there's quite an array of gift ideas in the store. Hi, this is Sarah from Bailey Road, and I'm so excited about this holiday season. For the holiday season, we have some great gifts, great accessories, one-size-fits-all, and gift cards are always a girl's best friend. Can't wait to see you. Happy holidays. Bookspieler Records will have a large variety of new used and collectible records for the holidays. Turntables, CDs, posters, and DVDs, all for stockings and elves alike. Montpelier is going to change. We've got a lot of things going on right now, and as we move into the future, we need our merchants to also be doing well. So this holiday season, come on down to downtown Montpelier and shop for your holiday season right here in downtown, and also the parking is free.