WEST UNITY, Ohio — A small stretch of stores along one northwest Ohio street is helping people with their holiday shopping lists. 

For about two months leading up to Christmas Eve, the Holly Jolly Christmas Shop takes over Jackson Street in West Unity, transforming vacant storefronts into a winter wonderland. 

Locals said it’s the “Christmas Capital of Northwest Ohio,” where it’s not the halls that are decked, it’s the sidewalks leading to the shops. 

“A lot of people want to have stuff to buy here locally,” said Kyuttza Glaser, a store employee.

This year, seven different holiday-themed stores, like Blitzen’s Boutique, are bringing new life to the empty storefronts. 

“Other than that, it just stays closed the rest of the year,” said Glaser. 

Glaser said she is working at the store this year to follow in her mother-in-law’s footsteps after she passed away unexpectedly last year. 

“I just needed to feel something to get closer to where she used to work,” she said. 

She’s now spreading holiday cheer to folks from near and far. 

“We’ve had people from Wisconsin, Utah, Florida,” she said. 

Shoppers have made supporting small businesses an annual event. 

“They make it a tradition,” she said. “They come here every year cause it’s something that they have to do. And that’s awesome.”

This is the 12th year for the pop-up shops.