SPRINGDALE — The chamber is hoping for a white Christmas this year.
“Is it possible to get people to come to Springdale to shop just on the idea it might snow?” asked Perry Webb, president of the Springdale Chamber of Commerce. “We hope so.”
The chamber’s “Spend Christmas in Springdale: You Shop, It Snows ... It’s Free” campaign gives shoppers at participating businesses refunds if Springdale gets 4 inches of snow Christmas Day.
Eligible purchases have to be made between Nov. 24 and Dec. 18.
Webb said the chamber is in the recruitment phase and anticipates 25 to 30 businesses participating by campaign launch.
“Businesses have until Nov. 10 to register,” he said. Thoughts automatically go to retail shops, but Webb said any business that is either a member of the Springdale chamber or within the city can sign up.
He said a list of participating vendors will be released sometime before the program begins Nov. 24.
Mayor Doug Sprouse said he thinks it’s a great idea as mayor and a business owner. He and his wife Sandy own and operate Sprouse Upholstery.
“We plan on participating,” Sprouse said.
He added anything that gives people an incentive to shop in Springdale is a plus.
Webb said individual businesses have done promotions like this in the past, but he doesn’t think it has been done on a community-wide level before.
“We have kind of played with the idea for two years now, but haven’t been able to get it pulled together,” Webb said.
The area received a blanket of snow in December, with just short of 4 inches falling on Christmas Eve.
“Could it happen?” Webb asked. “Absolutely.”