Small Business Saturday Fair merchants
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Merchants in Dayton, Tenn., will kick off a Hidden Elf Hunt on Small Business Saturday, Nov. 26. An elf will be hidden in each store, and shoppers who find one can enter a drawing for MainStreet Bucks to be used at any downtown merchant. Prize drawings will take place on the first four Thursdays in December (1, 8, 15 and 22). There will be four winners each week. The elves are sneaky, though, and may move around the stores, so shoppers may continue their hunts each week.
Activities for kids during Black Friday at the Bluff View include cookie decorating stations.
"Happy Trails to You" note card, $7.50, from Sewn to the Sea, a Small Business Saturday Fair participant.
French chocolatier Jerome Savin handcrafts chocolate Santas while visitors to the Bluff View Art District peer through the window.Big retailers aren't the only ones readying deals this weekend.
The Bluff View Art District is set to lure post-Thanksgiving shoppers to a less chaotic, more charming experience with Black Friday at Bluff View, and the Chattanooga Public Library will host a merchants fair on Small Business Saturday.
BLACK FRIDAY AT THE BLUFF VIEW
The Bluff View Art District will be adorned in the sights, sounds and smells of a storybook holiday experience for this special event from noon to 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 25, at 411 E. Second St.
"Bluff View Art District during the holidays is an immersive experience," said André Charitat, marketing director for the district. "Its atmosphere carries you away to what feels like a cozy and festive European village."
The historic neighborhood is filled with restaurants, a coffeehouse, art gallery, bed-and-breakfast and a plethora of gardens, plazas and courtyards. On Friday, with the backdrop of live holiday music, visitors will be treated to windows into the world of a French chocolatier "painting" chocolate Santas, pastry chefs in action making delectable holiday confections and bakers crafting artisan breads.
"I love it when visitors come by and watch me," says Kari Evans, head pastry chef at Bluff View. "It makes the experience that much more special for them when they get to see their favorite holiday treats being made right in front of them."
Kids can get in on the action decorating their own cookies, and around every corner visitors will be treated to artist demonstrations, coffee roasting and food and drink tastings, including beer and wine, at Tony's Pasta Shop. The Back Inn Cafe will offer a special holiday lunch.
Shopping specials can be found throughout the district during the open house. Bluff View will have an assortment of tasty gifts for purchase, including holiday breads from Bluff View Bakery, holiday gift boxes from Rembrandt's Coffee House and fine art and craft from River Gallery. Gift certificates are available for each of the entities in Bluff View Art District.
Free parking is available within the district. For more information, call 423-265-5033, ext. 481, or visit www.bluffviewartdistrict.com.
Also, just across the street, Houston Museum of Decorative Arts will offer free guided tours and a 15 percent discount at the gift shop. For more information about the Houston Museum, 201 High St., call 423-267-7176 or go to www.thehoustonmuseum.org.
SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY FAIR
The Chattanooga Public Library is hosting its third annual event for local craft entrepreneurs on Saturday, Nov. 26.
In retail circles, the Saturday after Thanksgiving has become known as Small Business Saturday, championing local merchants lost in the chaos of big retail's Black Friday push and giving them a bigger presence in the holiday shopping market.
American Express, which began Small Business Saturday in 2010, has selected the library as a Neighborhood Champion in this year's #ShopSmall campaign.
"Kick off your holiday shopping by supporting local entrepreneurs, and you'll get that warm fuzzy feeling of giving twice while ensuring your hard-earned dollars stay local," says library spokeswoman Mary Barnett in a news release.
"We'll have free coffee giveaways, door prizes and, of course, an incredible array of local vendors sure to make your shopping easy."
Twenty-four merchants will be at the downtown library, 1001 Broad St., from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Selling everything from quilts and bat boxes to handmade soaps, jewelry and journals, the vendors will be set up around the Shush Cafe.
Door prizes include "really nice canvas shopping bags from AmEx," Barnett says, "as well as free coffee from Shush."
She adds that many of the vendors have donated to a grand prize that will feature several handmade items from crafters at the fair.