It’s that time of year again, when Brookhaven’s shoppers relish in the exclusive sales, give-aways, socializing, fun and excitement that is Girl’s Night Out. The one-night shopping event on June 18 has more to offer than just sales the day of.

Kay Burton, Brookhaven-Lincoln County Chamber of Commerce marketing director, said Girl’s Night Out ticket-holders can bring their tickets to pick up T-shirts and coupon books on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Tickets are still available for $20 at the Chamber or any of the 34 participating merchants until the day of the event, when tickets will be $25.

“It has a life of its own I’m telling you,” Burton said. “It’s about the shopping, but it’s more about the fun. And just the sense of getting that special sale, or getting together with your friends or somebody from your family and going and having a fun night. It’s become an event more than it has just a shopping experience.”

Burton said she hears from people who say they do not often have the opportunity to shop at many stores in town because they work 8 to 5, so this is the perfect opportunity for working girls to spend that paycheck.

“It’s just so fun, I mean what is the better thing to do than to go somewhere good to eat, go to some fun stores, get some great bargains and put your name in drawings and maybe win a door prize or $500 cash?” Burton asked. “Each merchant gives us two door prizes, so at 6 p.m. I start drawing.

“And all through the night just in intervals I’ll draw [names],” she said. “And I call or text them and tell them what they’ve won and they go wherever they won it and get it. It’s so much fun to call people and say ‘Hey guess what, you won a door prize!’ And it’s fun when they go get it.”

The door prizes from each store are either gift certificates or merchandise, with some gift certificates up to $100, and there is even a $500 cash giveaway. Burton reminds each ticket holder not to bring their tickets in until Wednesday, Thursday or Friday, as the ticket is what is used for the drawings.

“Last year was the first year for the coupon books, so I feel this year we’ve improved on that,” Burton said. “And come up with really good options for people so that not only do they have fun the night of, but down the road they’re going to save money or get some special savings or gifts from the merchants. Last year was really our testing year but this year I think the merchants have done a really good job on their coupons to make that a good value for people.”

Each store will have two coupons in the book, one for Girl’s Night Out, and one that can be used later. The coupon book also has a voucher in it to get a meal for $10 at the six different participating restaurants, which can be used starting at lunch on Thursday and throughout the weekend.

Also returning is the ice cream social, hosted this year by Sen. Sally Doty, who will host a drawing to give away a mani-pedi.

Last year, 1,140 tickets were sold for GNO, and Burton said she does not know how many have sold so far, but chances are, it will be the same amount or more.

“I’ve probably been selling 50 a day the last few days just out of the Chamber,” Burton said. “We advertise statewide and all of our retailers have so many Facebook subscribers that it’s just gone viral a little bit. We have tons of people from out of town. I had one lady from Louisiana that came in and bought 20 tickets the other day because she was bringing a group.”

Taking that into consideration, Burton said if they run out of a particular T-shirt size, shoppers do not have to pick just any size, but they can get the correct size shirt mailed to them or picked up at the Chamber the next week.

“So for $20 they get a custom T-shirt that’s got a gorgeous, one-of-a-kind design, they get a $10 meal coupon and a coupon book, which is a huge value, and then they just get to have a fun night on the town,” Burton said.