By Laura Galbraith, lgalbraith@timesfreepress.com

DAYTON, Tenn. — Despite the difficult economic year, downtown business owners hope holiday shoppers still are ready to spend money.

But they’re sweetening the pot to increase those odds.

Starting today, more than 30 retail stores, restaurants and salons will participate in Dayton’s annual Holiday Stroll, and many are offering deep discounts on their products to lure shoppers.

“(The Holiday Stroll) is to help people get the Christmas shopping started and have a good time and just get acquainted with our community and know the unique shopping opportunities that you don’t find in your franchised retail (stores),” said Colleen Fehn, the owner of Fehn’s Restaurant.

Angie Kerr, owner of the antique and collectibles store The Gathering Place, said most stores will have food, coffee and hot cider available to shoppers.

Christmas carolers will stroll the area and several vendors will be on the courthouse lawn. Hundreds of luminary candles will light the way for shoppers.

“It’s very festive,” said Mrs. Kerr.

The Holiday Stroll also gives shoppers the chance to win a door prize package of donated items and certificates from every participating store.

Each shopper is given a card with a list of the stores. To qualify for the door prize, shoppers have until Saturday afternoon to visit each one and get their cards punched. No purchase is required.

“We have really expanded it this year to make it not just a night of running from merchant to merchant, because, of course, you have some people who do that,” said Karen West, owner of Oasis Massage. “We’re really trying to encourage people to kind of slow down. This is the season to take it easy and take it in and just really enjoy the evening.”

For a fee, the Rhea Family YMCA will offer child-care services for parents who wish to stroll alone.

“We’re really excited about that because a lot of times people would like to come and stroll downtown, and it’s difficult if you’re dragging the kids along,” Mrs. West said.