There may be more to the greeting “Happy Holidays” than many know. People are putting up Halloween decorations by early September, and Christmas decorations barely a week after the candy bags are empty from trick-or-treating. What’s going on here? Psychologist Deborah Serani says that smells and lights associated with the holidays trigger happy hormones and that decorating early lifts our mood. “Decorating can spike dopamine. For a lot of us holidays are a time of innocence and a time of joy,” Serani said in an interview for USA Today.
The truth is, for most of the year, people hunker down to get through busy, stressful lives. But while doing so, they hunger for joy, nostalgia and community. And the folks at the Danville Livery know just how to meet that need with signature holiday events. Management and merchants want the Livery to be a place where families can gather. They understand shopping centers need to become part of the fabric of the community, not just a place to shop and dine.
With that in mind, the Danville Livery will once again celebrate fall with its annual Pumpkin Jubilee on Saturday, October 26, an event that has nurtured nostalgia and gathered community for more than a decade.
The signature event that kicks off fall at the Livery is set at one of the most majestic properties in the East Bay, with its lush canopy of sycamores, oaks and maples bursting brilliant with color while providing the backdrop of the season. The Pumpkin Jubilee features horse and carriage rides, artistic pumpkin carvers, pumpkin giveaways, and a collection of fancy fairies who leave children smiling, faces painted, with a fabulous balloon animal in hand.
Families can plan to visit the Livery’s sweetest little courtyard, a benched court that circles an old cork tree just outside Cold Stone Creamery. There they will find pumpkin carvers who will transform garden-variety gourds and pumpkins into holiday masterpieces. At the end of the event, organizers will draw names for 30 lucky winners who will take home a finished original creation.
Of course, the central activity at the Pumpkin Jubilee is the community trick-or-treat. Families can collect a free treat bag at the guest services booth in the courtyard next to Danville Interiors and then visit participating merchants for candy. While at the Livery, families will want to stop by and visit the center’s newest retailers including Whimsy Kidz, SPACE Hair Studio, Spree Boutique and Be-You-Tiful Salon. They shouldn’t forget to stop by Games Unlimited to enjoy traditional board games and toys. Stride Rite supplies kids’ footwear specifically designed to be trendy and to support healthy growth of children’s feet.
The folks at the Livery understand that shoppers who have been cocooning need a reason to come out of their homes and spend time at any shopping center. Modern shoppers seek, need and love comfort, so management and merchants try to make the Pumpkin Jubilee and other holiday programs fun for the entire family. Stores and restaurants strive to offer a place to retreat with friends and family year-round.
Merchants and management do not consider the Livery to be a mall. They see it as a community neighborhood lifestyle center. Shoppers can’t find a shopping experience like this online. It’s tactile; it’s tangible. Its mood lifting because shoppers can smell it, see it, taste it, feel it.
The smell of pumpkins and spice. The joy of family and community. People can’t find these things in a search bar. But they can at the Danville Livery.
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