With Black Friday in the rearview, downtown Traverse City’s last two big shopping nights of the year kick off this week with Ladies’ Night on Thursday and Men’s Night on the 11th.

Here’s how the two nights stack up by the numbers.

35: The minimum number of merchants and restaurants already slated to hand out snacks, beverages, and discounts, plus some giveaways from 5-9 each evening. The final number will likely be a lot more, but as Downtown Traverse City Association (DTCA) Board President Karen Roofe explains, many sign up at the last minute.

20,000: The number of shoppers the DTCA guesstimates have attended the events over the years. “It’s huge,” says Roofe.

1949: Launched the first official Men’s Night. As for when Ladies’ Night was added to the roster, that’s been lost to the archives.

40%: More transactions are seen on Ladies’ Night compared to Men’s Night for Fustini’s Oils and Vinegars. “Ladies’ Night typically brings in around 300 orders and is one of our biggest in-store sales days of the holiday season,” says Fustini’s brand and marketing director Ellie Dulude. Men’s Night only sees around 200 orders but the final dollar amounts are actually higher, notes Dulude, likely because they’re pulling out all the stops for their special someone: “Many of the men are shopping for gifts for their partners.”

1.5: The number of days it takes Glitz & Spurs owner Katie Grossnickle to get her window displays decked out ahead of the shopping nights. “My windows are huge,” says Grossnickle, who looks to her past Christmas displays for inspiration each year before hauling out all of the baubles. “By the end of that [first] day they will be like 95% complete, then…I’ll look at them again [the next day] with fresh eyes and add the smaller details.” It’s, “Lots of work,” she adds. “Lots of up and down the stairs, lots of in and out of the windows!”

2023: The year that Grossnickle and others recorded some of their best Ladies’ Night sales in recent history.

46: The high on that record-breaking Ladies’ Night, which stayed above freezing for most of the evening. “The weather was amazing, it was warm out and just a super nice evening.”

19: This year’s forecasted high for this year’s Ladies’ Night, which will cool off to a frigid 17 degrees by the event’s 5:00 start time. For shoppers who need a break from Lake Michigan’s bluster, they can warm up with live music performed by Jimmy Oleson at Ella’s (209 E. Front St.) or head over to Front Row Centre (121 E Front St.) for a free cup of hot cocoa, hosted by Evergreen Community Group, who will be back at the same time, same place for Men’s Night too.

0%: Chance that either night will get cancelled because of weather. Come rain, sleet, or a complete blizzard, the DTCA doesn’t plan to postpone the events. Instead, it's up to each retailer to decide whether to stay open late (most will keep their doors open until 9 PM for the events) or close up shop if the weather gets nasty.

15: The combined number of merchants set (so far) to offer giveaways and raffles for Men’s and Ladies’ Nights, including Cherry Republic, Surfaces Art Supplies, and Overland Sheepskin Co.

60: How many minutes event shoppers in metered spaces will need to pay for before 6 PM’s free parking takes over for the rest of the night.

3: Different types of beverages that clothing retailer Yana Dee will be handing out – all of them N/A.  “We plan on having hot spiced apple cider, cold sparkling apple cider, and N/A beer,” says store manager Abby Rose Weglarz, who calls both shopping nights “really special” and a chance for shoppers to meet the designer, and brand namesake Yana Dee Powers. Weglarz and Powers, who are sisters, have both become sober since the store first opened in 2014 but still provided free alcohol during Ladies’ and Men's Nights.

“That was the expectation and the tradition,” says Weglarz. That’s changed over the last few years of seeing “many people take it too far,” in what Weglarz says is an opportunity to over-consume. “We can no longer in good conscience contribute to that culture,” she says, adding that since offering only alcohol-free options the store has become a favorite stop for the nights' designated drivers, younger shoppers, and people who have to get up early for work the next day. “We want to be a part of a community that is not centered around drinking alcohol,” says Weglarz. “For us, these late night shopping events are about gathering together, celebrating the season, and supporting downtown businesses.”