Ringgold Downtown Partners is offering domestic hunters a chance to search for treasures in downtown Ringgold with November’s Girls Night Out after-hours shopping Nov. 19.

“We try to think of ways to make people point their compass at Ringgold instead of going to Chattanooga or going to Atlanta,” said Joy Thornton, owner of United Gift Shop. “We’re trying to get them to think Ringgold first. Even the people that live here. They’ll help their local economy.”

This month’s theme is It’s Hunting Season in Ringgold. Many businesses will have scavenger hunts in their shops, luminaries will light up back walks and, of course, there’ll be food.

“The food makes it worth it,” said Thornton, who plans to serve chicken and dumplings, banana pudding and more fixings. She said she’ll hide Joy Bucks throughout her store for $1, $2 or $5 off a purchase.

“It encourages people to look at things that might not normally catch their eye,” she said.

Diane Gregory, owner of Gregory’s Antiques, said this Girls Night Out will serve as her shop’s Christmas open house.

“I just try to have Christmas all over the shop,” she said, with grab bags, Christmas cookies and hot apple cider.

Gregory said downtown Ringgold is the perfect little Southern town and the feel is magnified with Girls Night Out.

“Living in a small town is like having a big family,” she said, quoting the sign at Price Ringgold Drugs, “And that’s kind of what I say about Ringgold. You just become friends with all your customers and you get excited to see them when they come in and find out what’s going on in their life.”

Thornton said business owners in downtown Ringgold are as neighborly to each other as the rest of the town is.

“When Diane opened her antique shop down here I sent her a card to welcome her,” she said.

The Girls Night Out tradition began in April 2008. Now, Thornton said, women are planning meetings around it.

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