by Lilli Lopez
Tents! Cold temperatures! Injuries and FULL BLOWN FIGHTS! Every year we see folks working retail, dealing with waves of shoppers lined up as soon as a week in advance for Black Friday, when they should honestly have the day off (RADICAL, I KNOW). So when I heard about Small Business Saturday almost a decade ago, I was thrilled to participate. A full two days after Thanksgiving, Small Business Saturday falls on December 30 this year. Before you head out for door-busting deals at your local major retail stores, maybe consider saving the rest of your Thanksgiving and Friday for feasting on leftover and spend your hard earned dollars at local businesses.
Small businesses are the cornerstone of any thriving local economy. Austin is filled with homegrown businesses and boutiques and even comedy theaters. ColdTowne Theater neighbors some of our favorite local businesses in Hyde Park, North Loop, and now Mueller neighborhood. To the west we have some of our favorite coffee shops and vintage spots in the neighborhood: Flightpath Coffeehouse and Epoch. Blue Velvet Vintage right next door, then we have Room Service Vintage down the street and New Bohemia just next to The Grand, which is walking distance from ColdTowne.
Austin can seem overwhelmingly corporate sometimes, but you really don’t have to search high and low to support local businesses and get exactly what you need and more. Need some new gift ideas for the holidays? Las Ofrendas (creator of Frida Friday ATX) has a new shop housing several vendors and their incredible handmade gifts. You can visit them at 916 Springdale Rd F-6. Or maybe stop by our neighbors at Toy Joy off Airport (next to New Bohemia) for some funky toys and gifts. OR you can still get the ColdTowne $99 Deal on Level 1 improv or sketch classes now through December 14. You don’t even need to leave the house for that!
When you skip the Black Friday stampedes for Small Business Saturday, you’re keeping your money in Austin and supporting local business owners, their staffs, and families. As I mentioned in my blog post about ColdTowne’s $99 Deal, where I spend my money is important to me (pay gap, ya know?), so if Black Friday gives you evil J-Bezos vibes, buy local. Visit your favorite small businesses this Saturday and feel good about where your money’s going.