Chicago-based businesses celebrate Small Business Saturday
CHICAGO (WLS) -- After Black Friday comes Small Business Saturday, when locally owned businesses make a push for your holiday shopping dollars.
This year, Small Business Saturday kicked off its celebration of all things local with everything from live music on the sidewalk on the streets of Hyde Park to a DJ and aerial dancers in River North.
"Let's get together, celebrate these businesses, celebrate these amazing people in our community right here in Chicago that have an idea and created these wonderful businesses," said Mel Safford of Daybreaker.
The Daybreaker party inside Studio Paris in River North transformed into a Small Business Saturday dance party with movers and shakers, literally, moving and shaking to kick off the local shopping movement.
Everything inside this space is uniquely Chicago from the coffee to breakfast, promoting and celebrating local businesses and their owners, like Dan Barth from the Eastman Egg Company.
"Started a few years ago here in Chicago with a food truck, so a lot of people know us from our food truck that roamed all around the city then a couple of years ago we opened up quick service restaurants in the Loop," said Barth.
It's a time when smaller, locally owned stores lure in shoppers.
"It helps the community grow. You are giving back to your community. Most people around here I'm sure live here so when you put back into your community it helps everybody," said shopper Evanee Golden.
American Express started this day back in 2010 and it took off. Local business owners know the competition for your dollars is fierce.
So businesses, like the ones in Lincoln Square, really pride themselves on highlighting keeping things small.
"Shopping small really puts a lot of money back into the community, they are employing your local neighbors residents of the community all of that money is going right back in here," said Rudy Flores of the Lincoln Square/Ravenswood Chamber of Commerce.
Last year, a record 95 million people shopped small on Small Business Saturday.
Small Business Saturday is November 26, 2016; a national day encouraging shoppers to buy local as they begin the holiday shopping season. Businesses throughout the area offer shoppers great promotions and discounts on this special day, while restaurants showcase their best seasonal offerings.
That includes the members of the Lincoln Square Ravenswood Chamber of Commerce in Chicago. Shoppers will be treated to festive decorations, carolers, a tree lighting, and gifts for everyone on the shopping list. Rudy Flores, the Executive Director of the Lincoln Square Ravenswood Chamber of Commerce, joined Eyewitness News live from Lincoln Avenue to talk about all the fun at this year's Small Business Saturday.
Event: Small Business Saturday
Date: Nov. 26, 2016
Hours: All day long
Caroling: Lincoln Square and Ravenswood
Links: http://www.lincolnsquareravenswood.org, http://www.lincolnsquare.org/small-business-saturday
