By Catherine Ellerton
Moapa Valley Progress
It was early morning when I headed to downtown Overton last weekend to find out what was so magical about Black Friday.
My first stop was at Home Hardware. The store had opened at the usual time. There were a couple of shoppers waiting for that magical moment. I was drawn to a young lady who was excitedly examining a remote control helicopter toy. When I questioned Kayla Hinton about the recipient I was told that she was getting it for her husband Andrew who is currently stationed in Afghanistan.
Dorothy Fitzgerald said she used to go to the big name stores but more recently had decided to start shopping locally.
Stacey Dupee, whose shopping cart runneth over, stated that she purposely shops local. She found that she could find all she wanted, the customer service is phenomenal.
I then wandered down the street to Overton Ace Hardware. The folks there remarked that, while there were no tents or generators out front, there were several shoppers waiting when they opened a half hour early.
Bargain hunter Jeri Pearson said it best when she stated that the shopping frenzy in the bigger stores was like “ants on a pile of sugar,” and decided it was best to shop locally. She was after more Christmas paraphernalia and reported that the Pearsons were busy decorating their house and yard and although the trains were no more, they welcomed Christmas light hunters to drive by their house this season.
Then it was on to the Family Dollar were I found Peggy Reynolds busy shopping. Peggy said she enjoyed shopping free of the crowds in city stores. She was tickled to have things in the Valley so “they didn’t have to go other places!”
As oddity would have it, another Reynolds (no relation) – Jasmine was next in line. She volunteered that she usually shops in the bigger stores, but decided to stay home and shop locally this year.
I then ventured on to the “Little Pink House.” This tiny house was one of the original St. Thomas houses which found a new home in Overton. The current owner, Roxanne LaBeau, has opened the doors to local artisans who will keep the shelves filled with their creations year round with special items for the holidays.
Among the shoppers there was a couple from Colorado on a tour through the southwest. They decided to stop in this small town.
Another shopper excitedly told Roxanne, “You surely know how to make a place look fun.” In addition to making some new friends, I ended up with a couple of Christmas gifts….if only I can bear to give them away.
Marbles were the subject when I next visited the Lost City Museum to see what Black Friday was unearthing. A family from West Virginia (and Florida) was spending their traditional Valley of Fire Thanksgiving which, they said, always begins with a pumpkin pie at Sugars.
We began talking about West Virginia and how intriguing the hills were when I mentioned the marble factory and the annual Marble Festival I happened upon once upon a time. Georgia Jeppesen, Skylar Benedict and Bill Ashforth enthusiastically joined in as they knew of the factory. Hand blown, intriguing patterns and unusual colors dominated the conversation.
I decided to make my last stop at the Valley of Fire gift shop. It was there I ran into Barbie Harner who lives part-time in Overton and Phoenix and stated that she spent her Black Fridays not shopping but enjoying getting away and four-wheeling.
I joined in conversation with members of the Demchik family from Michigan. This was their first year to come to the Valley of Fire. Twenty-two years ago, Uncle Paulie, who lived in Las Vegas, told his nephew that he would have to come visit him and see the Valley of Fire, which was his favorite place. One thing and another got in the way until one year ago Uncle Paulie passed away. The family decided not to waste any more time and to come to The Valley of Fire in remembrance of Uncle Paulie. They urged their story be told so others would not waste time which was so precious and to use that time wisely and keep the family first. After all, isn’t that one of the blessings that the Christmas Season is all about?
All in all I found a multitude of great gift ideas awaiting me at the local vendors on my Black Friday adventure. The experience rivalled any shopping spree at the major retailers in the city. But the helpful and friendly service was a lot better. And there weren’t any lines to wait in. All of that continues to be offered to local customers throughout the rest of the holiday season and throughout the year.
Give your local merchants a try, Moapa Valley. Shop locally!
