As shoppers braved the chaos and long lines at Wal-Mart in Glen Ellyn, things were more subdued in the downtown business district.

With the jaw-dropping specials on flat screen TVs and other big-ticket items offered at Wal-Mart, some downtown business owners said they weren't surprised things were comparatively quiet in their own stores.

"We haven't seen an influx in business today," said Rich Ducar, owner of The Bike Shop, "But we'll get packed tonight at 5 p.m. for the Holly Walk," he said.

Leah Sander, an employee of the shop, said as more people have turned to commuting via bicycle to combat high gas prices, they have been getting increased interest in cold-weather biking gear, like bags, clothing and lighting systems. They expect to sell many of these items during the holiday shopping season.

The park district's Polar Express event drew large crowds of kids to the downtown area this morning, many of whom found their way into the Glen Ellyn Sweet Shoppe, said employee Barb Ott.

"Things were real lively this morning," Ott said, due in part to the fact that many kids had to be turned away from the Polar Express when it hit capacity. "A lot of people were really disappointed they couldn't fit their kids on the Polar Express, so they bought them candy instead."

Ott said the candy shop is expecting to do big business this holiday season, especially because of its new online presence.

"The nostalgia candy is selling out already," she said. "There's not many places in Chicago were people can buy this kind of candy."

Downtown Glen Ellyn is expected to swell with families tonight as the village kicks off its holiday celebration.