People walk past the illuminated Centennial Fountain in downtown Washington. Photo by Sally Y. Hart

Christmas is next weekend, and with the big holiday ahead many people still have gifts to purchase. Sarah Grunewaldt, director of Main Street Washington, encourages people to shop locally. She says it helps the community as a whole because more of each dollar spent locally stays in the community, while purchases online or out of town don’t come back to benefit the community. A dollar spent in town helps support agencies like the fire and police departments or schools, it also helps pay people to work in town. She adds there are many gifts that can be purchased in Washington, from candles and home decor to clothing, shoes and coffee.