As we head into the holiday shopping season, I thought it was high time to check in with Maura Thomson of the Main Street Area Association to ask about special events and gauge the Christmas buzz from retailers and restaurateurs. December is make-or-break time for store owners, making it important for you to support downtown Ann Arbor merchants. Thomson, the affable Boston native who’s been executive director of the association since 2008, gave plenty of reasons to head downtown this month.

Q. What are the major Main Street happenings during December?

A. We have two festive Fridays coming up Dec. 10 and 17, where we’ll have entertainment on the sidewalks those Friday nights from 7-9 p.m. That’s all about encouraging people to come downtown, do as much of your shopping as you can downtown, and adding in the entertainment is part of what we do to make people feel connected to the downtown. It’s an added something that you’re not going to get if you go a strip mall.

And then on Dec. 11 U of M is doing the Big Chill, the hockey game between Michigan and Michigan State at the stadium, so we’re collaborating with them. We’ve got some restaurants on Dec. 11 who are doing some fun stuff. Jolly Pumpkin is actually doing an outdoor barbecue on their awesome patio and they’re also doing a special Big Chill brew for that day. That’s a Saturday where we’re hoping people from the game are going to come downtown.

This a really important season for our retailers; it’s really imperative that they do well this season.

Q. Are you optimistic about this shopping season? Were coming off of a couple of incredibly rough years for the economy, and it’s still not an easy time for a lot of retailers. What’s the buzz you’re feeling yourself and from Main Street area retailers?

A. I think we’re expecting things to improve. Some people have stayed constant for a while, which is better than dipping. But I think people have high hopes for the season and also because our community does show a lot of support for local merchants. A lot of people downtown are your neighbors; they’re the guy living next door trying to make a living. In order for our downtown to maintain itself we all need to support these people. We definitely have high expectations for this season.

Q. We’ve seen this in Royal Oak and now in Ann Arbor, where the Main Street area is trending towards restaurants over retail stores. Is that good or bad?

A. I think there’s got to be a balance struck. I’m of the mindset that competition is a good thing, because we are defining our neighborhood as a fine-dining destination, which helps all of the restaurants. But with that said we need to make sure that people have more reasons than just dining to come to our neighborhood. I struggle with trying to figure out what is the right balance. But I do think we’ve got to have some core retail.

Q. Why should people support Ann Arbor’s downtown district? What do you get there that you don’t get elsewhere?

A. Our downtown adds so much to our entire community. When you think about Ann Arbor you think about the University of Michigan, of course, but I think the vision that also comes to mind is our downtown. In order to maintain our downtown and keep it vibrant and healthy, these retailers need to make a living. When you come downtown you’re dealing for the most part with an individual shop owner, so you’re dealing with someone completely vested in that transaction. If you go a mall and you’re at a Macy’s, the clerk behind the cash register doesn’t necessarily have as much vested in your experience. It’s completely different when you come downtown, plus you’ve got the aesthetics with the holiday lights, the people on the sidewalks. It’s more than just going out to purchase something. You’re gaining an experience, you’re gaining a memory and you’re contributing to the good of your community.

For more information on holiday happenings in downtown Ann Arbor, go to www.mainstreetannarbor.org.

Martin Bandyke is the 6-10 a.m. morning drive host on Ann Arbor’s 107one. Follow him on Twitter and at martinbandyke.com.