MADISON, Wis. -- On Saturday, downtown Madison bustled with shoppers enjoying the first-ever Downtown Madison Open House.

The open house was meant to celebrate the 350 stores and restaurants in the area that are locally owned and operated.

"The goal is really to show off the unique shopping district of downtown Madison," said Mary Carbine of Madison's Central Business Improvement District.

The Overture Center was the heart of the celebration, featuring cookie decorating, gift wrapping, and pictures with holiday characters, WISC-TV reported.

Knowing that this time of year can make or break a business, most downtown stores offered special deals hoping to entice holiday shoppers.

Kristin Wild, owner of clothing store Atticus on Carroll Street, said, "We're just hoping people will just come and discover the store and buy some gifts, maybe buy something for themselves."

City officials said that they hope that the message that buying local helps get across.

"When you buy local, you contribute to the local economy," said Carbine. "Your dollars re-circulate, you're supporting jobs locally, and you're contributing to the local tax base."

Like all local merchants, State Street's Anthology, a craft shop featuring an array of distinctly Wisconsin goods, hopes to have a good holiday season.

"Our goal has always been to try to make arts and crafts accessible to everyone," said Laura Komai, co-owner of Anthology. "So we've always tried to have a range of prices. One of our most popular activities is a button for a buck."

The good news so far appears to be that downtown doesn't seem to need to rely on items costing a dollar to survive.

"I wouldn't say sales have been stellar," said Wild. "It's not what I expected for the holiday season, but given the economy, I think it's good that people are still coming in and people are still interested in shopping."

Indeed, between foot traffic and the holiday shopping trolley that took shoppers down State Street from the state Capitol building to the University campus, downtown was busy on Saturday. Businesses sadi that they hope the bustle will continue through the holiday season and beyond.