Red and green arches complete with decorative ornaments transformed the Baton Rouge River Center last week into Hollydays, a Christmas-inspired shopping experience hosted by the Junior League of Baton Rouge.
The purpose of the event, which ran Wednesday through Saturday, was to raise money for the Junior League’s 17 community projects which include a prom dress drive, Junior master gardeners and others, said Michelle Shirley, Hollydays chairwoman and University alumna.
She said the net total accumulated over the four-day market came to $425,000.
“We could not do this without the support of the community, whether it’s from our largest donor or from someone buying a ticket and coming shopping,” Shirley said.
The training and service organization has been hosting Hollydays for 28 years and it has grown to see 12,500 shoppers during its four-day run, Shirley said. More than 170 merchants attended this year’s event from all over the country.
“It’s a good mix for the local community to see what the rest of the country has to offer,” she said.
Harmon Canon of Minnie Beasley’s Cookie Company came from Denver.
“We do a lot of Junior League shows throughout the country,” Canon said. “My product fits this clientele: Southern women. Women love the almonds, butter and sugar here.”
In honor of the organization’s 80th anniversary, a preview party was held Wednesday night, Shirley said.
Every 80th person that walked through the doors Thursday during market hours received a door prize, according to Junior League’s website.
Other events taking place during Hollydays included a wine tasting, ginger bread house decorating for children, a life-size game of Candy Land, martini night, a Rolex and Mercedes raffle and the Hollydays 5K Hustle, Shirley said.
Lindsay Madatic, employee relations coordinator in the University’s Human Resource Department and promotions chairman of Hollydays, said she wanted to volunteer in the community through the Junior League of Baton Rouge.