Shoppers can get ready to have some extra fun and save a littlemoney along the way Saturday as a number of Brookhaven businessesparticipate in the Christmas Open House day.

“It’s the kickoff of the Christmas shopping season,” saidChandler Russ, executive vice-president of the Brookhaven-LincolnCounty Chamber of Commerce, which is sponsoring the event.

Stores will be decorated, Christmas music will be playing, foodwill be served and discounts will be given to the bustling shoppersvisiting the 24 participating merchants.

“They will have discounts ranging from 10-50 percent off andalso refreshments for their customers, so it will be a good day totake advantage of those discounts as well as some good Brookhavenhospitality,” Russ added.

The merchants include: A Designer’s Florist & Gifts,Bertha’s Flower Shop, Betty Ann’s Ltd., Brookhaven Floor Covering,Castles Ladies Apparel, Day Dreams Therapeutic Massage, Debbi’s,Expectations, Flower Tree, JC Penney, Knibbles, Lofton’s, Millane’sGifts, Posey Place, Shipp’s Flowers, Sisters By Design, Somewherein Time/Heaven Scent Goodies, Sullivan Ford, Susan’s Shoppe, T.H.Perkins Furniture Co., The Decorative Source and The LockerRoom.

Although many stores have held open houses before, the unifiedChristmas Open House day was started three years ago to encourageresidents to shop locally, which can have a tremendous benefit onthe economy and unemployment rate.

“It’s more fun to do all on the same day, and the customerresponse has been great. They really support the Brookhavenbusinesses,” said Cathy Franck, a chamber of commerce memberinvolved in the event.