LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. — Lancaster County's Best Kept Secrets Twelve Shops of Christmas Tour has arrived giving a chance for shoppers to explore unique local businesses you might not have never heard of.
"You don't always know what's in your backyard," said Melissa Nordhoff, owner and creator of Best Kept Secrets Tour. "This really gives them the opportunity to set a date, set a plan and get out there and explore."
"It's amazing that you live so close to these things and have no idea that they're here," said Toni Sprague, a Manchester resident taking part in the tour. "I love every part of it."
Participants purchase an $11 coupon booklet from any of the participating locations that details all 16 stops on the tour. Tour goers get discounts and can participate in games, including a stamp collection challenge for a chance to win a $400 shopping spree.
$1 from each booklet sold goes to a local non-profit each year. This year all proceeds are going to the Clare House, a organization aimed at helping woman and children facing homelessness.
It's a win-win for the entire community.
"It really is a festive event where folks are just having a blast, finding the new spots, supporting local and supporting a charity," said Nordhoff.
There is a wide variety of different shops and businesses on the tour that participants will discover along their journey including, Gather Home Boutique & Furniture in Conestoga Township that will surely get visitors in the Christmas shopping mood.
"I've got 22 local vendors, everywhere from jewelry to candles. There's like Fraser Fir candles right inside the door so it kicks [the holiday shopping] off," "[People get the feeling] 'Christmas is here!,'" said Katie Hess, owner of Gather Home Boutique and Furniture.
Just down the road, discover locally made cooking essentials at Lancaster Cast Iron.
"A huge part of our business is locals and people coming out and supporting products and goods that are made here locally. Everything that we do is made in Lancaster County," said Mark Longenecker, owner of Lancaster Cast Iron. "Welcoming people into our store is like welcoming people into our family."
Find all the chocolate you can think of at Groff's Candies in Manor Township, a shop that's been making sweets for more than 50 years.
"It means a lot especially, it's fun with a family-owned business to kind of have that heritage," said Josh Groff, manager at Groff's Candies. "They're getting to see maybe stuff they wouldn't normally see, experience some hopefully delicious chocolate."
Wherever the tour takes you, it's a holiday shopping adventure you will not forget.
"You will not regret it," said Sprague. "You will see amazing shops and find amazing things, and definitely do it if you can."
Lancaster County's Best Kept Secrets Twelve Shops of Christmas Tour runs through December 9th. More information on how to participate can be found on Best Kept Secrets Tour's website.