CASPER, Wyo. — The weather may have been a tad frightful, but snow and cold weather couldn’t keep Casper residents from shopping local during this year’s Small Business Saturday.
Dozens of shoppers descended upon downtown Casper on Saturday, looking for gifts big and small for their friends, families and neighbors.
Shopping during Thanksgiving weekend used to be something to dread, not something to look forward to. Black Friday sales that started Thursday nights were a headache for both consumers and workers.
But then American Express started Small Business Saturday in 2010, as a way to support small businesses — businesses that were struggling after the 2008 financial crisis. Fifteen years later, the day has become an institution of Thanksgiving weekend, as notable as Black Friday and Turkey Day itself. It’s a day where customers can roam the streets of their hometowns, finding the gift that fits just right under their loved ones’ trees. It’s a chance for locals to shop for things besides what they might find at big-box stores or online, and it’s a chance for small business owners to make some extra money during the hardest months of the year.
“[Today] has been great,” said Calley Kaltenheuser, the owner of The Cadillac Cowgirl in downtown Casper. “We love seeing everybody come out to support the community and keeping our money local and helping local businesses that help support everybody else throughout the year. I love seeing everyone. I love seeing people come out and I love talking to everyone.”
Many of the stores downtown were packed with holiday shoppers. Some were searching for clothes and accessories, others were shopping for various knickknacks and doodads. People were buying books, toys and jewelry (oh my!). But almost everyone who was out and about on Small Business Saturday had a smile on their face.
“The snow kept a few people away this morning and it wasn’t as busy as we anticipated, but then the Small Business Saturday stuff really kicked in,” said Cassie Young, owner of 42 Degrees North. “[Days like today] keep us open. We want to have good shopping for people in Casper, and this absolutely is what keeps us going.”
Young said her favorite part of the day was also seeing faces, both old and new. While some shoppers were on a mission to “get in, get out,” others took the time to talk and laugh with their fellow customers, the retail workers and the owners of the businesses they were patronizing. There were smiles, there was laughter and the holiday spirit was certainly on display.
Santa himself decided to pay downtown Casper a visit, too. The big guy decided to take a break from all of his responsibilities at the North Pole so that he could also be a part of Small Business Saturday.
“My wife (Mrs. Claus) asked if I would come downtown and spread some Christmas cheer,” Kris Kringle stated. “I just want to help bring the downtown business area back to the way it was years and years ago. I want to spread good cheer.”
Claus — who also goes by the alias of Brent Kuhn — said that his wife owns a small business on Wolcott Street called A Place for Passion.
“It’s a little bit of everything,” he stated. “Crystals and rocks, some clothing; just a little bit of everything for everybody.”
Santa said that he enjoys all of the fun and camaraderie that occurs downtown during the holiday season. He likes seeing all the smiling faces and, even more than that, he enjoys putting those smiles on people’s faces. He was quick to say “hi” to a nearby child, who was hiding behind her mother’s leg. It didn’t take long before the kiddo was sitting on Santa’s lap, telling him what she wanted for Christmas.
But what, exactly, did Santa want for Christmas?
“I just want people to slow down and enjoy the people around you,” he said. “Be friendly.”
Photos from Small Business Saturday can be seen below:
