Rainy weather appeared to dampen foot traffic along State Street on Christmas Eve, keeping many shoppers at home and creating a noticeably quieter holiday shopping scene.
While some residents avoided the rain altogether, others saw the slower pace as an advantage. Alex Jimenez said fewer crowds made it easier to shop, even as some stores closed early.
“Some businesses are closed, but it’s a little bit easier shopping because there’s not that many people,” Jimenez said.
For many businesses, Christmas Eve is typically one of the busiest shopping days of the year. At M. Special Brewing, staff said the usual holiday crowds never arrived.
“I’ve worked the last three Christmas Eves,” said bartender Graham Burwell. “Normally, it’s pretty fun, people come out, away from their families, shopping.”
This year, Burwell described the scene as “pretty slow.”
Other businesses said the rainy weather had little impact on their operations. Marcel Monsivais, owner of Marcel’s Hemp, said the day felt no different from a typical Christmas Eve.
“This is the wettest Christmas we’ve had, but really good,” Monsivais said. “We’re only open three hours a day — that’s pretty standard for us.”
