GREEN BAY (NBC26) — The holiday shopping season kicked off today with more than 200 vendors selling local goods at the KI Convention Center in Green Bay, but it was about more than checking items off a wishlist.
The 23rd annual Girls' Day Out featured a wide selection of local fare, plus a jolly visit from Santa.
Attendees dropped off donations for multiple local animal shelters, with a group of former Packers cheerleaders collecting the donations.
Organizers said the energy at Girls' Day Out was infectious — with people of all ages coming smiling and coming together for a good cause.
"[There's] something for everyone, and very unique items," former Packers' cheerleader Carrie Lamers-Breager said. "When you come to this event, you are buying local, which is so wonderful for the community."
"The response from our community has just been overwhelming and very heart-warming," Michelle Lauerman said. "It's a very happy holiday season already."
Lauerman's Girls' Day Out event has grown from 25 vendors in its first year to 250 this year, as she aims to illuminate the talents of local female entrepreneurs. She'll hold another similar shopping event in April.
You can learn more about Girls' Day Out at this website.
