Photograph by olezzo via stock.adobe.com
As the sun sets on Black Friday and the stampedes recede at area Walmarts and Big Lots, with nary a flatscreen nor PS5 left on the shelves, the sun soon rises on Small Business Saturday. While it’s always great to support neighborhood businesses any day of the year—especially when you figure 67 cents of every dollar spent at a small business stays in the community—SBS is a reminder to support the local and family-owned shops run by our friends and neighbors while crossing off those hard-to-find and unique items still on your holiday shopping list.
The Crafty Supermarket returns to Music Hall from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. hosting more than 100 indie designers and crafters. You can find handmade anything here, including apparel, jewelry, bath and body products, home decor (shoutout to these cute-but-slightly-crass cross stitches, handmade paper chandeliers, D&D dice pillows, and Cincy-themed ceramics), pet treats, punny greeting cards, adorable pins, and so much more.
The Al Neyer Winter Market allows regional artisans and crafters to peddle their wares inside charming, cozy huts throughout Washington Park starting Friday through Sunday and continuing on weekends through December 18. The WestSide Market returns at a new location, Westwood Town Hall, and features more than 100 locally-owned shops including Frond, Elliott Street Boutique, Queen City Revolt, Spice Spice Baby, and others. If clever and sarcastic shirts are what you’re looking for, Cincy Shirts hosts a Winter Warehouse Sale Saturday at Essex Studios.
In Northern Kentucky, Newport on the Levee encourages shoppers to head to the gallery for local vendors Allana’s Custom Creations, BCA, El Gato Azul, Green Feather Homestead, Happy Jax Creations, Jim Conroy, Lady Eclectic, NK’s Stuff, Pickups and Ponytails, and Willorock Boutique. You can find more info on Shop Local on the Levee here, and stick around for the tree lighting ceremony and Rozzi’s Famous Fireworks show for Light Up the Levee. Greater Cincinnati WinterFair will host dozens of vendors at the NKY Convention Center in Covington this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
Why not shop local with a craft beer in hand? We’re not advocating for anyone to break open container laws though, so visit Fibonnaci’s Fall Brewery Bazaar or Streetside Brewing‘s 5th Annual Holiday Market this Saturday instead. The Cincinnati Christkindlmarkt also arrives at Moerlein Lager House this Friday through December 31, where you can purchase German steins, handmade wood gifts, authentic European ornaments, nutcrackers, pyramids, cuckoo clocks, snow globes, smokers, candles, and art by Jim Effler—oh yeah, and Servatti’s treats, classic German fare, and more Moerlein Lager than you can shake a stein at.
You can also show your support for Black-owned businesses this Saturday, including Pause Cincy, BlaCk Coffee Lounge and BlaCk OWned apparel, The Lusheous Collection, Fly By Nature, Create or Conform, or Brow OTR, just to name a few. Our friends at The Voice of Black Cincinnati have compiled a comprehensive list of the Queen City’s Black-owned businesses and services.
Finally, you can find dozens of local shops to support this Small Business Saturday—and any day—in Cincinnati Magazine‘s Style & Shopping section. Some of our recent favorites include Hierophany & Hedge, Queen City Clay, Bird Etiquette, and Manga Manga. (We’ll let you in on a secret: Check back November 28 through December 13 for web-exclusive local gift guides for all the different folks in your life, from foodies to craft beer heads, bookworms to plant lovers, sports fanatics to artists, and many more.)
Following Thanksgiving Thursday, Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Don’t Move From Your Couch Sunday (this should be a real thing), don’t sleep on Cyber Monday deals. Keep these sites on your radar for online deals: FC Cincinnati store, Great American Ball Park tours, Jeff Ruby restaurant gift cards, Bluegrass and Sass, The Beauty Boost, VADA Gallery, Space Face HQ, and others on your radar for online specials.
And after a week of cooking and gorging on turkey, it might be tempting to order pizza delivery. If your heart’s set on ‘za, who could blame you, but might we suggest some local options instead? Check out our handy guide to the slices we’re most thankful for.
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