Lee Civic Center to host Small Business Saturday
Dozens of small businesses are expected to converge on Lee Civic Center this Thanksgiving weekend for an event that is specially made for them, and for a great cause.
The seventh-annual Small Business Saturday is set for this Saturday, Nov. 26, and there is still an opportunity to get involved on the local level to kick off the Christmas season in style.
Small Business Saturday is designated as the Saturday after Thanksgiving, sandwiched between Black Friday and Cyber Monday. It is intended to drum up business for local merchants owned and operated by all/any types of businesses within communities.
Last year, $5 billion was spent during Small Business Saturday, which has been promoted by American Express.
The third annual neighborhood event will take place this year from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is expected to be another fun one at the Tinsley Pavilion, Whaley Hall and the fairgrounds, with two local non-profit organizations to benefit, America C.A.R.E.S Stop Bullying and Caleb’s Crusade against Childhood Cancer.
Wayne Blow, event organizer and a small business owner himself who makes soap, said he and his wife, Debbie, were vendors at events and decided they could put a similar event together through their company, Southwest Florida Vendor Events.
“We wanted to help small businesses and figured that the combination would be a good marriage,” Blow said. “It’s not the big-box stores. It’s the mom-and-pops, the e-commerce, any of that stuff.”
The event will be family friendly and have fun things for the kids to do, from bubble soccer and bounce houses to a drone simulator, Blow said.
The event will also feature the Lee County Sheriff’s Office swamp buggy with free rides, as well as Cinderella’s Chariot, which will take people from the parking lot to the event from 10 a.m. to noon. There will be a paint party, face painting and a visit from Santa.
Blow said his event company is itself a small business, putting on things all over the place in any type arena.
“We do everything from Farmers Markets to closed-gate community events so they don’t have to go outside. We work with charities to promote their business,” Blow said.
All types of vendors, business owners, sponsors, and entertainment are being sought to join this neighborhood initiative in support of our local community and businesses.
Those opportunities are expected to last until pretty much the day of the event. So far more than 90 vendor slots have been filled, with 15 to 20 available.
To sign up, go to www.smallbusinesssaturdaymar-ket.com for an application. Prices range from $60 to $85. Parking is $5 with free admission.
More information about the event entertainment, food, shopping opportunities, and craft beer will be announced as it unfolds. Sign up today for your spot or for as low as $25 you can be a sponsor.