Rain doesn’t damper last-minute Christmas shopping

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — It was raining and pouring but last-minute shoppers weren’t snoring two days before Christmas at the Paseo Nuevo Shopping Center.

The Kinsella sisters procrastinated on buying presents and they weren’t willing to wait any longer.

“We’re doing all of our Christmas shopping for our family, right now,” Mackenzie Kinsella said.

“Didn’t really know what to get my friends and family,” Alana Kinsella said. “Just stuck with last-minute stuff.”

At the Blissful Boutiques pop-up holiday market — a one-stop-shop filled with 16 local vendors — there were plenty of people coming in and out.

“We thought the rain was going to slow everything down today but the store is actually busier than it has been for the last couple of days,” Blissful Boutiques founder Lisa Green said.

Over at the Dylan Star store, owner Erica Brown was surprised to see so many shoppers bracing the big rain.

“They are wanting to shop local,” she said. “They are making a point to go to the local businesses, which as a local business owner we really appreciate.”

Despite the wet weather conditions, most aimed to complete their Christmas shopping.

“We’re hoping it’s going to be fun but I think we’ll be soaked by the end of the day,” Mackenzie Kinsella concluded.

This holiday shopping spree is a big benefit for local businesses, who depend on the extra income as they head into the New Year.