MANCHESTER — Business owners and volunteers are gearing up for the annual Manchester Area Merchants Association open house on Black Friday.

The event will be held Friday, Nov. 27 from 6 to 9 p.m. throughout town.

About 1,100 people participated in last year's event, and the association is hoping for a similar turnout this year.

"If we have good weather, then we know it's going to be a good event," said Cynthia Ziegler, secretary of MAMA.

Stores along Manchester's main street -- Route 30 -- and on side streets will be open, and will feature specials. Some merchants will have live entertainment, Ziegler said.

A sticker game will return this year as well, Ziegler said, in which shoppers pick up sheets at the BB&T Bank or Dutch Corner Restaurant and collect as many stickers as they can from participating shops.

The more stickers that are collected, the better the chance to win a gift basket valued more than $500, she said.

There will also be free hay wagon rides sponsored by Wertz Power Equipment in Glenn Rock, and bus rides provided by Bill Rohrbaugh's Charter Service. The bus will carry revelers between the heart of town and the nearby Garey Business Center.

Santa Claus is also due to make an appearance, Ziegler said. Photos with the jolly elf will be available for a small fee at the Manchester Volunteer Fire Co. building on Route 30.

The town's annual tree lighting ceremony will be at 6 p.m. at Town Hall, 3208 York St.

Trinity United Church of Christ, 3229 York St., will have a live nativity at that time, Ziegler said.

Several groups not with MAMA will also participate. Volunteers will operate a train garden on the upper level of the Manchester Volunteer Fire Co., while area businesses will have giveaways and other items at the fire station, she said.

Also, Thomas Tree Farm will raffle off a Christmas tree at the fire department. Tickets are $1 each and proceeds benefit the Fire Company, she said.

While it's nice to do business that day, merchants treat it more like an event to thank its customers, Ziegler said.

"It definitely helps the businesses, but it's done in more of the spirit of the holiday season and to thank the community," she said.

If you go

What: Manchester Area Merchants Association's Black Friday

When: Friday, Nov. 27, 6-9 p.m. Tree lighting at Town Hall, 3208 York St., is at 6 p.m.

Where: Through town, along Route 30 in Manchester and side streets, including the Manchester Activities Building on York Street.

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