BEREA, Ky. (WKYT) – The Saturday after Thanksgiving has become known as Shop Small Business Saturday, a day for people to take advantage of deals from small businesses in their local community.
Drew and Ariana Maddox are the owners of Maddox Made Portrait Studio and Artisan Market in Berea’s Artisan Village.
“This is a very interesting part of Berea because on its best day it’s a Hallmark movie waiting to happen,” Ariana Maddox said.
Ariana Maddox said Shop Small Business Saturday feels like an early Christmas. She said this is because she operates a storefront for more than 30 Kentucky artists.
“Every time someone makes a purchase here, it is directly impacting a local artist who sat down and created this thing and then it’s going straight to the consumer,” Ariana Maddox said.
Jacob Moody, owner of Fire and Fern Glass Studio, said Shop Small Business Saturday is about offering a new experience. He said offering affordable glassblowing classes helps bring curious artists to shop local.
“We live here, we work here, we raise our kids here, so that is one reason why it’s very important for people to shop local,” Moody said.
Small business owners in the Artisan Village said that living and working in an art-loving community like Berea helps them remain successful before, during and after Shop Small Saturday.
Nickie Guinn opened her business, Nicolette’s Nostalgia, on November 1. She said the more people support businesses in Berea, the more the city can offer people.
“If you’re always going to bigger towns to buy things, you’re going to have to always go to bigger towns for your entertainment too,” Guinn said.
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