Graham Jaehnig/Daily Mining Gazette Shoppers came out Thursday to enjoy a Ladies Day Out, Calumet and Laurium villages’ holiday shopping season kick-off.

CALUMET TOWNSHIP — Calumet and Laurium villages, in partner with Main Street Calumet, celebrated the annual Ladies Day Out on Thursday, which drew out holiday season shoppers.

Every year we hold a Ladies Day Out shopping event in downtown Calumet and Laurium in mid-November, said Leah Polzien, executive director of Main Street Calumet.

“Ladies Day Out is the opportunity to shop local businesses and support local businesses in the Copper Country and Calumet and Laurium. It’s also our opportunity as a community to invite people in and show them what we’ve got.”

It has only been in the past couple of years that Ladies Day Out was expanded to an all-day event, said Polzien. Previous to the COVID lockdowns it was Ladies Night Out.

“In years past, when we started out, it was an evening event, maybe 5-8 p.m. or 5-9” she said.

The idea to extend the event’s hours came from the period just after the COVID lockdowns. The goal was to reduce the numbers of people in stores at one time, and keep people spread out and socially distanced. The decision was made to make Ladies Day Out open through the day. It turned out to be a good idea.

“When we did it that way,” said Polzien, “we went ‘Wow! That was great. Let’s do that again.’ That was one good thing that came out of COVID, I guess.”

Polzien said that the holiday shopping season provides the perfect opportunity some of the new businesses that have opened in town, like Ramona’s Bakery, which is located in the previous 5th & Elm location.

“A lot of people might not have been here yet,” said Polzien. “They’ve only been open since June. So, it’s just an opportunity for people to come and get a great deal, maybe win a huge gift basket, check out some new businesses, like Of the Water, Frozen Farms Foods.”

Beginning holiday shopping season before Black Friday allows people to avoid the rush and anxiety that is associated with the day after Thanksgiving. Polzien said, however, that the primary goal of Ladies Day Out is just to invite people downtown.

“Calumet already feels like Christmas,” she said, “we already have a foot of snow on the ground, so you don’t feel like you’re rushing the season much at all.”

Calumet feels like Christmas for more than just snow. Incorporated in 1875 as Red Jacket, Calumet’s business district showcases many retail buildings constructed in the 19th century, giving the village an Old-World Victorian warmth. Several of those 19th century buildings retain the beauty of the Victorian Era architecture, but now house new businesses. The village is enjoying a resurgence of interest in its business district, and has seen several new stores and shops open in the past couple of years, including Frozen Farms Company, High’s Adventure Gear, both opened in 2021. Of the Water, which deals in beverages that offer alternatives to alcohol.

As stated on the Calumet Village website, the village’s downtown business district has experienced a resurgence as a commercial and cultural center as the result of the efforts of Main Street Calumet, and the Downtown Development Authority.

“This is our shopping season, beginning of the season,” Polzien said about Ladies Day Out, “maybe cheat the season a little bit. It’s opening week for deer hunting, so this our ladies’ celebration.”