Small Business Saturday has become an annual tradition where communities kick off the holiday season shopping at small, locally-owned businesses. This year, the event is on Saturday, November 25th. “These small businesses make your community unique and special, and we want to support them,” said Erik Evans, Executive Director of the Downtown Annapolis Partnership. “The Annapolis area is filled with locally owned stores, retailers, hair salons, entertainment venues, and other locally owned small businesses that give back to the community throughout the year. Small Business Saturday is a day to thank them.
It has been over 12 years since downtown Annapolis started celebrating our small local businesses on this day. Shopping at your favorite small business on this day brings the community together for a traditional shopping and dining experience where full customer service is still an option.
To continue the shop local theme in downtown Annapolis, the next day, Sunday, November 26th, is Artist Sunday, where the Annapolis Arts District is encouraging locals to shop local by buying a CD from their favorite local musician, purchasing tickets to local performing arts events, and for everyone to shop our wonderful local art galleries, art studios, and bookstores.
Also on Sunday, Nov ember 26th, it is the Grand Illumination at City Dock in Annapolis. The festivities begin at 4 pm with live performances of the Nutcracker by the Chesapeake Ballet and Music by the Annapolis Symphony Academy, and Naptown sings. Followed by the tree lighting at 530 p.m.
Everyone also heads back to downtown Annapolis on the first three Thursday evenings in December to shop and dine during the Midnight Madness shopping events. And returning for an encore performance on December 7th through 10th; it is the Annapolis Holiday Market at Susan Campbell Park.
Free parking is available evenings and weekends at the Calvert Street Parking Garage at 19 St. Johns Street. Free Sunday parking is available until 4 p.m. at the Whitmore Parking Garage at 25 Clay Street. Many businesses in downtown Annapolis participate in Park Shop and Dine, which gives you 2 hours of free parking at Gotts Court Garage when making a purchase. City of Annapolis residents can also pick up free 2-hour parking passes at 60 West Street for City of Annapolis-owned parking garages.
For more information visit www.downtownannapolispartnership.org
