ABERDEEN – Aberdeen Main Street Director Glen Houston has announced the organization's plans for its annual Christmas Open House in downtown Aberdeen. The event will begin at 1 p.m. on Sunday, November 15.

"We started this event 33 years ago – actually Ann Tackett started it when she had her flower shop," Houston said. "We always have it on the Sunday the week before the week of Thanksgiving. It is one of our biggest and most successful annual events."

According to Houston, the merchants participating in the event will have their stores decorated for Christmas and they will also have seasonal items available for purchase. However, Houston said there is more to the open house than just merchandise.

"This event has become very big for the Aberdeen merchants," she said. "A lot of the stores will have musicians both inside their stores and on Main Street. Also, both the Cottage Tea Room and Penny Lane's will be selling food and beverages and all of the stores will have refreshments."

With the national economy struggling, some Aberdeen merchants said the open house will hopefully bring some much needed relief.

"I think that we will have a really good year this year," Ruth Carter of Ruth's Warehouse said. "Last year even when the economy started slowing, we had one of the best years we had ever had. We have already started selling Christmas items and we expect this year's open house to be really good."

Houston also said the annual event has always been successful.

"We've never really had a bad year," Houston said. "Some years have been better than others, but our merchants really look forward to it."

Merchants participating in the event this year are Aberdeen Antiques, Aberdeen Floral, Bea's, Em's Children's Boutique, Flora's Collection, the Flower Basket, Monogram Magic, Reflections Beauty Salon, Ruth's Warehouse, Victorian Rose Antiques and Henry's.