As Christmas looms, hundreds hit downtown SLO for some last-minute shopping

Throngs of last-minute shoppers crowded downtown San Luis Obispo on Saturday afternoon, the day before Christmas Eve.

“We are late shoppers,” Christine Dietrick said.

Dietrick was among hundreds of shoppers poking through shops on a warm afternoon in San Luis Obispo’s commercial core. Dietrick, who works for the city, said she wanted to shop downtown to support local businesses.

“I’m happy to see other people shopping downtown, as well,” she said.

For many people, just getting downtown proved to be a challenge. Street parking was scarce, and the garages stayed largely full all afternoon.

“We had a hard time finding a parking spot,” Nancy Steffora of Nipomo said.

Still, she said the day afforded her a chance to not only do last-minute shopping but also to spend time with her 9-year-old daughter. Later, she said she planned to deep fry a turkey for the first time.

For those who still haven’t done their holiday shopping, the SLOcally Made pop-up store, at The San Luis Obispo Collection downtown, 870 Monterey Street, will be open 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, with leatherwork, weaving, painting, metal-smithing, screen printing and other goods for sale.

This story was originally published December 23, 2017 at 2:58 PM with the headline "As Christmas looms, hundreds hit downtown SLO for some last-minute shopping."