Small business Saturday brings shoppers, cheer
Shoppers and merchants alike enjoyed Small Business Saturday in downtown Butler, where Main Street was alive with young and old carrying their “passports” to great deals at 20 shops and restaurants.
Jared Sullivan of Butler Downtown said more businesses than ever signed up to participate in the event, during which shoppers are given a small passport book that features participating businesses.
The merchants then stamp their page, and shoppers return the books to the Butler Symphony office at South Main and Diamond streets to enter a grand prize drawing.
“I feel like this year, businesses are taking more notice of Small Business Saturday and they are excited about it,” Sullivan said.
He said most of the businesses that participated in Small Business Saturday donated items for various prizes included in the Butler Downtown event.
Sullivan also appreciated the clear weather, since a cold rain fell during the 2018 event.
“We couldn't ask for better weather,” he said. “It's a little chilly, but it's Western Pennsylvania.”
Numerous baskets and items were set up at the Butler Symphony office, where shoppers obtained their passports before shopping.
Charlie Stitt of the Butler Symphony explained that each board member contributed a basket. Thirty raffle baskets and items, from a truck-bed tent and hard-sided luggage to wine and massage-themed baskets, waited for Small Business Saturday shoppers to deposit their tickets in the bags before them.Linda Savannah, her daughter Rachelle Savannah and Carrie Todd traversed Main Street to shop and get their passports stamped.Linda grew up in Butler and remembers coming downtown with her parents on Sundays to window shop at Woolworth's, Murphy's, Troutman's and all the stores that once filled Main Street.While she cherishes that memory, as do many longtime Butler residents, she appreciates the diversity of the shops and restaurants of Main Street now.Linda said she enjoyed Small Business Saturday, and was glad she familiarized herself with the stores on Main.“You can go to businesses and get familiar with them, and then come back all the time,” she said. “Butler is working hard to bring businesses back to Main Street.”
Rachelle said Saturday marked the trio's third attendance at Small Business Saturday in Butler.“I enjoy patronizing the Main Street businesses and trying to help the community,” she said. “There are lots of new stores this year.”Todd said the three women always stop at Cummings Candy and Coffee for a rich cup of joe before heading out to have their booklets stamped and peruse the shops on Main Street.“It supports small business people that make our community what it is,” she said.Windy Wilkinson and Clifton Bossong, along with their young son Klayton Wilkinson-Bossong, traveled from Hampton Township, Allegheny County, to participate in the Butler Downtown event on Saturday.“It's a cute little town,” Wilkinson said.Her son agreed.“I love it,” Klayton said of Butler's Main Street. “It has old buildings and new buildings too, and little shops.”Bossong said Small Business Saturday is a great idea, and his family enjoyed the scavenger hunt element in Butler.“It makes people stop in all these little shops,” he said. “Usually, people beeline into the store they need to visit, but this gets you in and out of all the shops.”
