Holiday Open House was another success for retailers on the Batesville Square and around the city on Sunday, Nov. 17. The Main Street Program event kicks off the holiday shopping season in Batesville each year and is the unofficial start of the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday period with special sales by merchants and festive decorations around the Square. Highlights of Holiday Open House each year include horse-drawn carriage rides and the obligatory photos with Santa for children of all ages. Seven month old Brooks Wilson Simmerman enjoyed his first Holiday Open House and his introduction to the jolly old Saint Nick. The bundle of joy is the son of Ridge and Sydney Simmerman.