LEBANON, Ohio — 'Twas the day before the night before Christmas, and all through downtown Lebanon, you could find a host of people making some last-minute purchases before Saint Nick heads down the chimney.
"I feel like people have come out and about, respected retail workers — especially in small businesses, which we obviously appreciate more than anyone could ever know," Carly Carpenter said.
Carpenter works as the district manager for East Main Market in Lebanon, which sits right along Main Street.
"People want to come and visit, and I truly hope it continues to be a destination place for families to come and visit," Carpenter said.
After hearing about the small businesses and growth within Lebanon at our most recent 'Let's Talk' event, I visited the downtown area.
Watch to see how businesses have grown around Lebanon:
That's where I met Kim Reynolds, the owner of The BrickHouse on Broad Broadway Personalized Gift Shop.
Reynolds walked me through her store, showing me all the specialty items her store customizes for her customers.
"We help customers get their idea from their head and onto the item," Reynolds said.
While visiting her store, I asked Reynolds about the changes and growth in the downtown business area in Lebanon.
"At one point, everything in Lebanon was an antique store. So now, it has evolved, and we have a lot of unique, different shops. Each shop is just as unique as its owner," Reynolds said.
Reynolds told me she's on the merchant committee that works with the local chamber to help with community engagement and business growth for her community.
"We like to be cohesive as a unit, so that this is a destination, not just somebody coming for one shop," Reynolds said.
It's not just businesses that have seen growth and changes. The city of Lebanon has recently completed improvement projects, like a new skate park in 2024 and a new bike path earlier this year.
Rusty Poeppelmeier, who told me he lives just outside Lebanon's city limits, told me he's happy to see growth and investments in the community.
"Anything you can do that attracts people to the city, I think, is a positive," Poeppelmeier said.
