A “Small Business Saturday” tradition is going online this year – and also expanding.
Crafty Mart has brought together Northeast Ohio artisans in Akron every year for the past decade. This year, due to the coronavirus pandemic, organizers have put together an online event which will run the entire weekend. Executive Director Marisa McClellan says 2020 has been difficult for small businesses, but they will be live on Facebook this weekend for the virtual market.
"Our vendors will be in there promoting whatever deals they have, talking about where their business is at this year, how you can help outside of shopping, and all kinds of other cool promos going on inside the event," McClellan said.
She says they're also teaming up with two similar markets -- Cleveland Bazaar and Pittsburgh's "I Made It! " -- for the event. And with so much uncertainty in the marketplace, it’s important to patronize small businesses. “We’ve been doing a lot of research putting together this show and we found that $68 of every $100 that you spend locally stays in your community. And when you shop small, you’re supporting a person who is working tirelessly – at all hours of every day – to make something that they really believe in and really, really love.”
There is a 164-page online catalog of everything that’s available here, and it should be available through the end of the year.
