Holiday bargain hunters and post-Christmas shopaholics don’t have to stray further than downtown, as the Madison Chamber of Commerce hosts its annual INside Sidewalk Sale from Thursday to Saturday, Jan. 9 to 11.

Though the event is coming early this year due to the timing of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Chamber Executive Director Eileen Banisch said she still anticipates a high level of turnout for the sales as residents look for ways to beat the winter doldrums.

“It’s such a monotonous month—we just try to do fun stuff,” Banisch said.

Downtown shops participating include R.J. Julia Booksellers, the Country Shop of Madison, J. Horton, Walker Loden, Willow and Birch, and Angie Lu Taylors, among others. Most are looking to unload winter or holiday merchandise at bargain prices, Banisch said.

“It sounds crazy, but a lot of people actually buy holiday stuff a year in advance,” Banisch said, laughing. “I don’t know why.”

Some stores, like Maggies of Madison, which sells home decor and linens, fold their separate annual sales into the event, Banisch said.

R.J. Julia Marketing Director Liz Bartek told The Source the bookshop is providing discounts on calendars and greeting cards, not just for winter holidays, but all holidays, including Valentines Day. Others, including Walker Loden, were advertising flat discounts of 50 percent on Christmas-related items.

Banisch said she expected some merchants to offer stands with hot cocoa or other refreshments, similar to the chamber’s Small Business Saturday event back in November.

Banisch said getting word out for the event is handled a little differently than other events. Though she said residents should be seeing some signage for the sale, the chamber tries to use social media channels to reach residents who are most likely holed up inside during the long winter evenings and nights.

“Gifts and clothing—that’s what Madison stores are known for,” Banisch said.

The Sidewalk Sale also serves as a preview for the popular annual Souper Sunday event that will take over downtown on Saturday, Jan. 25 from noon to 2:30 p.m. That event, a tasting that puts the shoreline’s best soups and chilis up to public vote, involves more restaurants and food-related businesses, Banish said. Between the two, she said she hopes residents don’t give up on getting outside, mingling with neighbors and supporting local businesses this winter.