Batesville’s annual Holiday Open House date has been set, along with a renewed emphasis on making the popular event inclusive of all the city’s merchants, not just those located downtown on the Square.

This year’s Holiday Open House will be Sunday, Nov. 20, from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. Parking is free downtown and across the city and many merchants will have special hours and discounts.

Traditionally, the Square is decorated for Christmas with almost every business open with specials for early shoppers wanting to see the latest offerings. Christmas music, refreshments, and door prizes entice locals and visitors from across North Mississippi. Carriage rides and photos with Santa are always a highlight for the young and old alike.

This year, though, Batesville’s Main Street Program is making a concerted effort to include every business in the city that wishes to take part.

“We are very proud of our downtown and we get compliments every year about how beautiful the Square is at Holiday Open House and during the Christmas season, but we want all of Batesville’s stores to be included,” said Mamie Avery, director of the Main Street Program.

“There is much more to Batesville besides our Square and that’s something we really want the people who visit our city to know,” she said. “Any retail store that wants to be part of the Holiday Open House needs to contact our office or fill out the form we have on our website.”

In years past Batesville has enjoyed an influx of shoppers on the Sunday before Thanksgiving when Holiday Open House is held, and the 2022 version is expected to draw just as well.

For the specialty retailers who depend on strong holiday sales to carry their business throughout the other months, Holiday Open House is an opportunity to showcase the best of their goods and services with the support of Main Street and Panola Partnership, the office that works like a chamber of commerce in other places.

Holiday Open House is not only a chance for local business to shine, but Mayor Hal Ferrell believes it’s a day that many people not familiar with Batesville on a regular basis should see the best the city has to offer.

Ferrell said he will encourage all city department heads to give special attention to cleaning all public property and making Batesville as attractive as possible to visitors for the day.