Small Business Saturday

Small Business Saturday kicks off the holiday shopping season today with downtown’s signature celebration of small and local.

Presented by First Energy Foundation, Small Business Saturday will run from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. with the Holiday Hub by Breezeline offering a lounge in the Ward Building, 238 High St., where shoppers can take a break.

Shoppers can take photos with the Grinch by the holiday tree and enjoy a hot cocoa bar and cookie station. The first 50 visitors will receive a Shop Small reusable tote bag. Shoppers can also enter to win a smart TV, pick up a gift guide to plan the day and visit kids’ activity tables.

Across from the Ward Building, there will be a Holiday Vintage Pop-Up Market on the Monongalia County Courthouse Square with music and food trucks.

At 2 p.m., the Moonlight Market opens at Morgantown Market Place on Spruce Street with artisans and music.

There are many reasons to think Downtown Morgantown when deciding on a holiday shopping plan.

“Behind every small business is a family. Downtown’s specialty shops offer unique gift opportunities including handmade, artisan and locally made,” Amy Loomis, executive director of Main Street Morgantown, which is part of Morgantown Area Partnership, said previously. “For those who like experiences and food, consider a gift card from a favorite local coffee shop, brewery, or restaurant.”

According to Loomis, citing the 2022 American Express Small Business Consumer Insights Survey, 68 cents of every dollar spent at a small business in the U.S. stays in the local community and that every dollar spent at small businesses creates an additional 48 cents in local business activity as a result of employees and local businesses purchasing local goods and services.