‘Holly Daze’ busy for Emo merchants

There was an unmistakable nip in the wind, but that didn’t stop people from coming out to celebrate “Holly Daze” last week in Emo.
The annual two-day festival attracted shoppers from throughout the district to take advantage of various sales and promotions going on all over the village as Emo’s merchants rolled out the red carpet—and rolled back the prices on many holiday items.
One of the best deals was found at Cloverleaf ShopEasy, where as part of the new store’s grand opening, gas was selling for 69.9 cents/litre all day Saturday.
Customers also undoubtedly noticed some familiar faces in unaccustomed roles there, too. Emo Couns. Harri Sheloff and Ken Fisher were kept hopping all day as they bagged groceries and carted them outside.
Around 3 p.m., Coun. Fisher was overheard to say, “This is really good for me. I’ve been so busy, I haven’t had time to have a smoke since about noon.”
Elsewhere, shoppers also were snapping up bargains on Front Street. Meyers Clothing owner Cheryl Curtis said “Holly Daze” traditionally is one of the busiest shopping days of the year for her—often surpassing Christmas Eve in terms of customer volume.
Only Spring Fever Days bring out as many shoppers, she noted.
Farther down the street, Tompkins Hardware was packed with Christmas shoppers throughout the day—many of them eyeing gardening accessories which usually are not available at this time of year.
Tompkins had announced earlier there were deals to be found in garden supplies and they delivered on the promise.
Not all the activity was confined to the stores, however.
Over at the arena, there was a three-day ringette tournament going on along with a penny table, which raised $700 for Emo Ringette.
Outside, the Emo Chamber of Commerce sponsored free hot chocolate while hotdogs were available for those who needed a little fuel to ward off Old Man Winter.
For the hardier crowd, Harold Kellar and his Percheron draft horses offered free wagon rides while volunteers stoked up a huge bonfire to help chase away the chill of a bitter east wind.
But the real hero of the day was Santa Claus, who braved the biting wind and bone-chilling temperatures for three hours so children could have their pictures taken on his lap for $1.
Sponsored by the Emo Chamber of Commerce, the event raised $108 for the Emo food bank.
A fireworks display went ahead as planned at dusk Saturday, but only about 40 people hung around outside to watch it due to the cold. Others took it in from the warmth of their cars.