We are just under two weeks away from one of the largest shopping weekends of the year, the Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving, better known as Black Friday and Small Business Saturday. This holiday shopping season, consider the impact that your dollar can have on those around you. Outside of charitable giving, a very simple way to give back to your community is to buy local when shopping for yourself or your loved ones this year. Supporting local small businesses goes beyond just a transaction; to support a small business means supporting your neighbors, their families, their livelihood and their passion. Here are seven easy ways to find and support a local business this year:
1. Support Black Business 607 - A local Facebook group with over 6,000 members created to promote and encourage the support of black-owned businesses in Broome County. Post a question about your shopping needs and get a direct response from businesses that can help. Not sure what you're looking for yet? Search through the hundreds and hundreds of businesses offering a wide variety of high quality products, services, and delicious meals. A great resource year-round, Support Black Business 607 is a perfect place to start your holiday shopping. Attend their Blackity Black Friday holiday shopping event on Friday, November 26th, at the American Legion at 76 Main Street in Binghamton.
2. Bring Broome Home Directory - The Bring Broome Home Directory is a facet of the Broome County...a good life campaign. The Directory is designed to connect individuals with a variety of high quality product lines from the diverse array of participating Broome County businesses. Read about each business’s journey, shop from the comfort of your own home, and if you aren’t in the area, bring a little Broome love into your life. Support our vibrant local businesses online and get a taste for the good life.
3. Holiday Sip 'N Shop Vendor Event - Join Celebrations on the Avenue in Endicott for an evening of holiday shopping, drinks, and appetizers on Thursday November 18th, from 5:00 PM - 8:30 PM. There will be 25 local boutique, craft, and food vendors, and the bar will be open to purchase drinks! Discover new local businesses and support your favorite vendors while having fun.
4. Small Business Saturday Artisan Pop-Up Event - Old Barn Market and Old Barn Market Coffee Bar in Downtown Binghamton will be hosting a holiday artisan pop-up event on Saturday, November 27th from 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM. The event will feature local artisans selling their unique creations, and a free live acoustic performance by Ithaca-based artist Rose Alaimo from 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM.
5. Small Business Saturday with eatBING - All this holiday shopping is bound to work up an appetite! Celebrate Small Business Saturday with eatBING on November 27th! Check their social pages throughout the day as they will be sharing Small Business Saturday deals offered by various eatBING members. Eat local and support our vibrant restaurant community!
6. Small Business Sunday - Join Modern Mama’s Children’s Boutique & The Kilmer Mansion for a small business shopping event on Sunday November 28th from 12:00 - 3:00 PM. Grab a cup of hot cocoa from the complimentary hot chocolate cart and make your way inside the gorgeous Kilmer Mansion to peruse hundreds of products made by over 20 local vendors.
7. Holiday Artisan Market - The week after Small Business Saturday, the Broome County Regional Farmers Market hosts its annual Holiday Artisan Market. Local vendors will be selling a variety of products perfect for holiday gift giving including textiles, polymer clay and other handmade jewelry, woodworking and wood crafts, hand-poured soy candles, home decor, locally made food products, and more! This year's event will take place in the Farmers Market building on both Thursday, December 2nd, and Friday, December, 3rd, from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM.
These are just a handful of opportunities to not only check off everything on your holiday shopping list, but to do so while supporting our local economy. Thank you for shopping local this upcoming Small Business Saturday and holiday season.