WESTFIELD – The village stroll and tree lighting will return Saturday along with a new twist on promoting local businesses. Those who pick up a shopping bag printed “Westfield First, Buy Local” will be eligible for discounts, promotions and raffles offered by individual businesses. The promotion is being offered as part of the 10th annual Dickens Days Village Stroll being...
WESTFIELD – The village stroll and tree lighting will return Saturday along with a new twist on promoting local businesses.
Those who pick up a shopping bag printed “Westfield First, Buy Local” will be eligible for discounts, promotions and raffles offered by individual businesses.
The promotion is being offered as part of the 10th annual Dickens Days Village Stroll being held by the Westfield Business Improvement District in collaboration with Westfield on Weekends.
“It was time to do something different” to promote downtown businesses, said Maureen Belliveau, executive director of the business district. In previous years shoppers were eligible for a twice yearly raffle.
Each business owner will come up with her or his own promotion.
“There’s a lot of individuality and personality going into it,” Belliveau said.
The downtown promotion comes during the city’s annual Dickens Days celebration and the national Small Business Saturday, which now helps concentrate holiday shopping dollars on locally owned businesses.
“For every dollar you spend in your local economy, 68 cents stays in your local economy,” Belliveau said. “We have a lot of great things downtown.” Shopping locally “helps your downtown to be vital.”
Shoppers may pick up the bags from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. at the Westfield State University Downtown Art Gallery. Included with the bags will be a list of participating businesses including restaurants and a map.
“We have a whole day of activities,” said Belliveau.
Belliveau said entertainment will include wandering musicians from 10 a.m. until noon, and from noon to 2 p.m. the Full Gospel Youth Choir from Westfield will perform at the Church Street Commons.
At 5:30 p.m. the Lanternlight Parade will head to Park Square where there will be a Christmas tree lighting ceremony at 6 p.m. with caroling and hot chocolate.
“It’s a great time to be downtown and it’s a great time for everyone to be downtown and support the merchants,” Belliveau said.
For more information on events go to http://www.dickensdays.com/