Small Business Saturday
Downtown Annapolis ...., Annapolis, Maryland 21401
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 26th. “These small businesses make your community unique and special, and we want to support them,” said Erik Evans Executive Director of the Annapolis Arts District and 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 and Small Business Saturday is a day to thank them.
It has been over 11 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.
New this year will be the Downtown Annapolis Gift Card Bonus Week, which kicks-off on Small Business Saturday and runs through the following Saturday. During this week the Downtown Annapolis Partnership will be promoting local businesses that off a bonus gift when you purchase a gift card from them. Examples include buy a $100 gift card from Luna Blu, Blackwall Hitch or Smashing Grapes restaurants and get a free $20 bonus gift card. Those that purchase a sailing cruise on the Wilma Lee from the Annapolis Maritime Museum will receive a free ornament as a gift. A full list of gift card bonus deals is on the downtown Annapolis Partnership website.
To continue the shop local theme in downtown Annapolis, the next day, Sunday November 27th is Artist Sunday where the Annapolis Arts District is encouraging locals to shop local contacting your favorite local musician to by a CD, purchase tickets to local performing arts events, and for everyone to shop local art galleries, art studios and bookstores. 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 the launch of the new Annapolis Holiday Market December 8 to 11.
The City of Annapolis also starts its free holiday 2-hour on street meter parking during the Thanksgiving weekend. Additional free parking is available evenings and weekends at the Calvert Street Parking Garage located at 19 St. Johns Street and free parking on Sundays is available until 4pm 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 on Small Business Saturday in Annapolis, the Downtown Annapolis Bonus Gift Card Week and the Annapolis Holiday Market visit www.downtownannapolispartnership.org