Participate in Small Business Saturday

Small Business Saturday, held the day after Black Friday, is where Arlington’s independent retail community gets its moment — and in recent years it has become a genuinely well-organized community event. Local shops have partnered on shopping passport programs where participants visit five or more participating retailers — including bookstores, boutiques, bakeries, specialty food shops, and specialty hardware stores — to collect stamps and be entered into a grand prize drawing filled with goodies and gift certificates from local businesses. Arlington Economic Development actively promotes the Saturday after Thanksgiving as Small Business Saturday, rallying the community to champion locally owned businesses at the most important retail moment of the year. Participating shops in Clarendon, Shirlington, Westover, and Columbia Pike often offer exclusive in-store discounts, free gift wrapping, complimentary tastings, and meet-the-owner events. Check arlingtoneconomicdevelopment.com each November for the current year’s participating business list and passport locations.