By Justin Aufdermauer, Executive Director, Tillamook Area Chamber of Commerce
This is one of my favorite times of the year. With Thanksgiving today, and so many members of our community gathering with friends and family far and wide to break bread and celebrate the holiday and tradition of coming together with grateful hearts.
For many, Thanksgiving marks the start of the holiday shopping season, which is why Small Business Saturday was created as a way to remind people to shop local and support their local economy when looking for holiday gifts, decorations, Christmas cards, and more.
We celebrate Small Business Saturday every year in Tillamook, and every year we encourage our downtown core to get involved and make it a fun-filled day for shoppers. This year, they’ve truly outdone themselves with events, contests, sales, and more. Here are just a few of the things going on:
Turkey Trot: This event is on Friday, Nov. 24. And while it’s not on Small Business Saturday, it is sure to get your heart rate up after the big Thanksgiving meal the day before and prepare you for the full day of eating and shopping on Saturday. The fun run/walk starts at Tillamook Ford, 501 Main Avenue at 9am. Bring a can of food for the Tillamook County Food Bank for entry.
Bloody Mary Bar at Rendezvous: Start the day off with a tasty Bloody Mary at the Rendezvous Cabaret, 214 Pacific Avenue. Donna will be serving up this traditional breakfast drink starting at 8 a.m. as well as her tempting breakfast items.
Brunch at Pacific Restaurant: Join chefs Neila and Phil for a world-class brunch experience from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tickets are $18 for adults. And nothing goes better with brunch than mimosas, so come thirsty too.
Cupcake Decorating at Sarasotas: A little hands-on fun for the whole family. Learn the art of decorating cupcakes with our experienced baker and decorator extraordinaire. The fun will begin at 1 p.m. and you can join them until 3 p.m.
Gift Tag Workshop with Art Accelerated: Even if you’re not the type to do homemade gifts, you can still consider homemade gift tags. This mini workshop from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. is open to all ages and skill levels and is free to participate. So come visit with the artists, play with the art supplies on hand, and maybe even find some inspiration.
Gingerbread House Building Competition: From 1 p.m. – 2 p.m., YoTime will be hosting a contest for best gingerbread house. Teams of four are asked to register with Sierra before Saturday, and basic gingerbread house building supplies will be provided. The actual contest will kick off at 1:30 p.m. and a winner will be determined by audience applause.
Visit with Santa at Homelife Furniture: Santa will be kicking back in a cozy chair at Homelife Furniture from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and he’s ready to visit with your children and review their Christmas lists. This event is free and parents are welcome to take photos.
As if that isn’t enough to entice to you to spend your day downtown, we are also having a #Contstuctdowntown Sweepstakes promotion! We are lifting the one receipt per day rule for Small Business Saturday. This Saturday only the Chamber office will be open 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and will be validating EVERY receipt you have from the day for an entry into both the weekly #Contstructdowntown Sweepstakes and the $1,000 grand prize drawings. The more places you shop on Saturday, the more chances you have of winning Tillamook swag that we will draw for that evening and the $1,000 grand prize drawing around the New Year!
To find out more specifics about each shop’s sales and specials, pick up a pamphlet at any of our local downtown businesses. Sierra started distributing them yesterday and they are a comprehensive guide to help shoppers get the most out of their time downtown.