Princeton cracks the Top 100 in national Main Streets for Christmas list

The Princeton Area Chamber of Commerce said Thursday that it was “having all the feels” after learning it was named to the top 150 Main Streets for Christmas shopping.

Princeton’s Main Street was named the 98th best Main Street by Present.com, which surveyed 3,000 Americans to identify where the best main streets for Christmas shopping are located.

Princeton was one of four Illinois communities named to the list. Woodstock’s Square was listed No. 37, Third Street in Geneva was No. 100 and Main Street in Galena came in at No. 121.

“We should all be very proud of this recognition,” the chamber said in a Facebook post. “Thank you to everyone who has a hand in making our community so special.”

The survey said charm, geography, the role of small-town identity, nostalgia, sustainability and a celebration of craftsmanship and artistry were among the findings of characteristics from the list. Princeton’s shopping districts boast of independent stores and no chains.

“Historic main streets offer authenticity and charm, and streets like Main Street in Cooperstown, New York, or Broad Street in Nevada City, California, provide an overall experience that’s about more than just shopping – it’s about stepping back in time to a different, less impersonal era, and being more engaged with the local community," Present.com said in its news release.

Princeton has emphasized Christmas shopping with many events throughout the holiday season.

The city got an early start to the holiday season with the Christmas Walk on the weekend of Nov. 22 through Nov. 24, as well as a celebration of Small Business Saturday on Nov. 30. Princeton’s Night of Lights with the Christmas tree lighting, a lighted parade, a candy cane hunt and a visit from Santa brought more visitors to town over the weekend.

“The Christmas Walk weekend was so busy in town,” Princeton chamber Executive Director Jenica Cole said. “It was an amazing weekend.”

The first cold snap of the season was credited with bringing slower Small Business Saturday traffic, Cole said.

The chamber and Princeton Tourism receive data taken from people’s phones when they visit the city. Using this tracking data, the city was able to find out that 7,500 people attended the Witch’s Night Out and Monster Mash Balloon Bash during the Halloween holiday season on the weekend of Oct. 11 and 12, Cole said. Data is not yet available for the Christmas season.

“These were people that came from their homes into Princeton, to shop Princeton, eat Princeton,” Cole said. “Only 38% of those phones were Princeton people.”

The data showed some of the travelers came from as far as Wisconsin and Indiana to visit.

“It was phenomenal,” Cole said.

Princeton benefits from being an Amtrak community. The depot is right in the community’s Art District, with a number of shops and restaurants. City Manager Theresa Wittenauer has said previous data has shown Iowa travelers use Princeton as a depot stop when making trips to Chicago.

Between the Art District and the South Shopping District, Princeton has antique shops, high-end consignment shops, china, locally baked goods, jewelry, a vinyl record store, an independent bookstore and handmade items, among other stores.

A boost in shopping can lead to increased sales tax revenue. Wittenauer said Monday that the city’s steady sales tax income helped keep the property tax levy below the 5% increase threshold for a truth-in-taxation hearing.

“It’s sustained, with a small increase,” Wittenauer said. “We are blessed with our levy not having to go over that 5% because of our sales tax.”