Businesses are gearing up for the 32nd annual Puttin’ on the Glitz | Rare Techy

KEOKUK (WGEM) – Small businesses in Lee County, Iowa are gearing up for all the fun that comes with the annual Puttin’ on the Glitz event.

Sam Ford, manager of Simply Home Boutique and Antiques, expects a full house during the Main Street Keokuk Puttin’ on the Glitz event.

The Ford event brings in a lot of money for the company.

“It’s pretty exciting because normally you can’t walk in here,” Ford said.

Ford has been the manager of Simply Home Boutique and Antiques for about two years, but he’s not the only person looking to cash in this weekend.

The boutique also has work from 19 other sellers.

“Some of them are retired nurses, you know retirees and just housewives, whatever,” Ford said.

To attract more people to the store during Glitz Puttin’ on the Glitz, Ford is enticing customers with free wine, beer and snacks.

Main Street Keokuk has also organized scavenger hunts at 29 participating stores to keep customers spending longer in the stores.

Kira Kruszynski of Main Street in Keokuk said she wants people to shop local every day, but Puttin’ on the Glitz allows small businesses to attract more people to their stores than usual.

“Especially during the holidays, we want to remind people to shop local, shop your small, locally owned business first before they go anywhere else, and the Glitz puttin is a great way to do that,” Kruszynski said. “Now that we’ve been doing it for 32 years, Puttin’ on the Glitz has become kind of a community tradition.”

While Ford hopes to make a decent amount of money from the event, he also wants all participating businesses to come out of the holiday shopping event with success.

He said he loves Keokuk and is ready to see so many people from the community come together in one place.

“My goal is for everybody to do good every month, it could be January or December,” Ford said.

Puttin’ on the Glitz takes place on Friday, December 2nd from 4:00pm to 9:00pm on Main Street in Keokuk.

Guests can purchase $10 raffle tickets to win more than $1,000 in gift card prizes, Kruszynski said.

Proceeds from the raffle will go toward building the Great River Player’s Courtyard.

For more information on Keokuk’s Puttin’ on the Glitz, click here.

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