Berlin Merchants united in efforts to welcome visitors

As far as destinations go, Berlin has helped Holmes County become one of the most highly anticipated travel destinations in the state, and much of that success can be attributed to the Berlin Main Street Merchants members’ willingness to put aside the singular goal of bringing people into their respective shops, restaurants and lodgings and instead devoting themselves to bringing visitors to Berlin as a whole.

“We all come together to work toward keeping this town appealing and interesting for everyone who comes to visit,” said Gary Yoder, president of the Berlin Main Street Merchants.

He said one of the big projects of 2024 was the restroom project that helped meet a huge need for Berlin.

Yoder said that was inspiring because people were willing to share what they felt was a shortcoming, and then the outpouring of support helped pave the way for that project to create a beautiful public restroom area for visitors.

He said many events like Kids Fun Day at Sheiyah Market, Berlin Harvest Festival, and the grand parade and the Christmas parade continued to help the town shine and brought in both local and out-of-town guests.

Central to each of those events is a variety of people within the merchant realm who are willing to do all the behind-the-scenes work that made each a success.

“It felt really good to see people coming together to help each other wherever there was a need,” Yoder said. “There is so much value in working together, and from a guest’s perspective, they feel a whole lot better when they are welcomed in and nobody is trying to push them into a certain store or restaurant.”

Yoder said many of the merchants are grateful to be part of a community that listens to one another and shares together, and he said one unique thing is the willingness to glean valued experience from the elders who have been part of the community for many decades.

“You don’t have to look far to find these knowledgeable, experienced people who have been around for many years who were so giving of themselves and their time to make this town what it is today,” Yoder said. “They went out of their way to do some great things that extended well beyond themselves for the betterment of the community. That gives all of us energy and drive to continue to contribute wherever we can because they’ve set that example and it has worked.”

As 2025 begins, Yoder said the merchants are eager to continue to invest in each other and said working with the Holmes County Chamber also has been a big factor, not just in Berlin, but also in towns throughout the county.

“We’re excited to see what the future brings,” Yoder said. “We’ve got people here doing some great things and working hard to make Berlin as good as it can be.”

With the growth of the town continuing, Berlin is certain to continue the many traditions that have built it into the tourism destination it has become.