LOCK HAVEN, Pa. - Stepping into a local store right now may feel like stepping into a Christmas wonderland as merchants get ready for the annual Holiday Open House downtown on Sunday.

The event, scheduled from noon to 4 p.m., should be a real crowd-pleaser this year with close to 20 businesses preparing for the special day and an added campaign, "Find Your Pleasant Surprise" in downtown.

"The Holiday Open House is a sort of preview for customers," one business owner said. "They are able to see what each business offers, as well as potentially receive coupons and/or discounts on the day of the open house."

D. Dashem Books has participated in the Holiday Open House all 13 years it has been held.

The owners say they believe it is a good opportunity for customers to see what's new in the store and get a jump-start on holiday shopping.

"We believe in 'unity in community,'" Donna Dashem said. "We are proud to support the local businesses."

"Downtown Lock Haven is such a great environment to do business in," Anne Guerriero of Ricker Bros. Florist said. "I like that I don't have to fight the crowds. One year I decided to do all of my Christmas shopping on my lunch breaks. It only took me three lunch breaks to get all of my Christmas shopping done. It is also very convenient to shop right downtown instead of traveling to a mall."

Meanwhile, Downtown Lock Haven Inc. is kicking off a special promotion - Find Your Pleasant Surprise - on Sunday, too.

"What we heard over and over was that Lock Haven is a pleasant surprise for visitors and local customers," explained Downtown Manager Maria Boileau.

"We had a lot of customers telling us that they didn't know we had such a variety of businesses. So we are promoting the pleasant surprise you can find in downtown with great customer service and appreciation for our local customers."

Beginning Sunday and continuing through Nov. 22, participating downtown businesses will randomly give customers a pleasant surprise in the form of a coupon, a free cup of coffee, a discount on a product or service.

It is a way of saying thank you for shopping locally.

Some of the other participating businesses are Pugsly's Pets, To Friends Deli, Subway, Hair Studio 35, Lanning Music, Sand Piper Designs, Dutch Haven Restaurant, Avenue 209 Coffee House, Tropical Tanning Salon, Dollar General, Clinton County Arts Council, Haven Shoes, Linda's Upscale Resale, Lock Haven University Downtown Store, Keystone Community Network, Rock River & Trail Outfitters and Therapeutic Wellness Center. Ricker Bros. Florist, which has participated for more than a decade, also will host Greenya Jewelers.

A full list of advertisers participating in Find Your Pleasant Surprise can be found on Page A8 in Friday's Express.

DLH also offers its annual give-away for Open House: Shoppers who come downtown Sunday may enter to win a $25 gift certificate good at more than 70 businesses.