With less than four days until Christmas, those who haven’t completed all their holiday shopping need not fret. Downtown Vicksburg will still have plenty of shops open Friday and Saturday to accommodate last-minute buyers.

At Magnolia Jewelers on Washington Street, owner Matt Southerland said not only will his store remain open from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Christmas Eve, but the jolly ole elf himself will be on hand this weekend to greet shoppers and give children one last chance to give him their lists.

“The last couple of weeks have been pretty big for us,” Southerland said of traffic prior to the Christmas holiday. “The radio station, River 101, will be here (Friday) from 12 until 2 p.m. We will have Santa here Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The main thing is we will be open Christmas Eve. We’ll be open all weekend.”

Down the road at Lorelei Books, owner Kelle Barfield said she and her staff are looking forward to the pre-Christmas traffic. She said one of her favorite aspects of the holiday season is seeing friends and family members come in for gift certificates for stocking stuffers, or for gifts that enable readers to get exactly what they want, especially when there is only a day or two left before Christmas.

“Some four million books are published annually, so odds are small that our hometown store will have any title that someone might want,” Barfield said. “But we appreciate our many loyal customers who special order the titles they yearn to hold in their hands. Holiday shoppers keep Lorelie Books alive!”

With a wide array of merchandise available up and down Washington Street, and plenty of storeowners eager to cater to the last-minute rush, Vicksburg’s final wave of shoppers can rest easy knowing there is still something for everyone on their lists in downtown.