BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) -- With Halloween over, many people are turning to Christmas shopping. The 44th annual Christmas Village Festival opened at the BJCC on Wednesday.

With 50 days until Christmas, some people took the opportunity to shop early and knock some items off their list.

"This is our kickoff to the holiday season," Jonica Little said. "We’ve done this for several years now."

Little and her family drive up from Chilton County each year to visit the Christmas Village Festival. Decked out in matching shirts with bags getting heavier by the booth, Little said this year, they’re shopping a little differently because of the government shutdown and changes in their wallets.

"We all set a limit on what our spending was," Little said. "We knew where we wanted to go and what we want

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