A city has a culture that lives just under the surface, and though events showcase what that community is all about, many store owners feel one event is not enough. Duck Crossing Antique Mall agrees and plans to continue showcasing what downtown Elizabethton has to offer.

Misty Counts has been the owner of Duck Crossing Antique Mall for three holiday seasons now, and this is the third year she is holding their own open house.

“We want to offer customers another chance to come in for the special sales,” Counts said.

This year, however, Counts said she spoke with two new business owners in Elizabethton: Crazy Creek Co-op and Ole City Dogs, to launch a joint open house event.

“They are both new business owners, and they are women,” she said.

While she said she did not choose to partner with them because they are women, she did say the distinction played a part in their partnership.

“We can work together to bring in business,” Counts said. “Sometimes women business owners do not have as many connections. The majority of business owners are men. […] We want to encourage other women to own businesses.”

Counts said these stores bring unique products and services to Elizabethton, and the second open house allows customers to better experience what they have to offer.

“All of us offer unique Christmas items to customers,” she said. “Crazy Creek, for instance, offers a lot of locally made gifts.”

Counts said Duck Crossing specializes in vintage and one-of-a-kind items for a wide range of interests.

Counts is going into her third holiday season as owner of Duck Crossing, a store that has stood downtown since the ’90s.

“It has been a lot of work but a lot of fun,” Counts said.

She said her knowledge of the products she sells has led customers to call her and her daughter Sarah “personal shoppers,” able to guide customers to products they want to purchase with just a description.

“We love meeting people, especially those coming in from out of town,” she said.

She said this open house event is meant to showcase the culture of Elizabethton as a whole.

“People in Johnson City and Bristol do not realize the community we have at the Elk Avenue strip,” Counts said.

The open house event will take place Sunday, Dec. 2, between 1 and 5 p.m. for all three stores.