It was wonderful to see the people of El Cajon, and elsewhere, participate in Small Business Saturday. The Downtown El Cajon Business Partners and the city of El Cajon did a great job in finding a family fun way to get the people out, and I received good feedback from some of the businesses, even if nothing was purchased on Saturday, it gave people a chance to get in the stores and see the variety of services this community provides.
It was wonderful to see the people of El Cajon, and elsewhere, participate in Small Business Saturday. The Downtown El Cajon Business Partners and the city of El Cajon did a great job in finding a family fun way to get the people out, and I received good feedback from some of the businesses, even if nothing was purchased on Saturday, it gave people a chance to get in the stores and see the variety of services this community provides.
This was a great first event, and tying it in with Santa’s Village, ice-skating, music and the lighting of the downtown Christmas tree, I think this can be a popular event every year. This event was different in several good ways. Although it is necessary for many of the city’s larger events, the fact that streets were open made the afternoon and evening a much more pleasant experience for those of us walking around and wanting to see what our businesses had to offer.
It was really great to see businesses bringing in guest artists that do not have a storefront to sell from. It really shows the owners’ dedication in supporting small business. I met several of these small home businesses, some I knew, but most of them were new to me and still part of East County, if not El Cajon itself.
Another thing that I believe that made this event good for the city is the lack of outside food vendors all over the street. I understand at the larger festivals that these are needed, but with just a few choices at the Promenade, it gave the surrounding restaurants a fighting chance. And they were packed, inside and out. This was stellar in helping promote the food that El Cajon has to offer.
And a personal thank you for bringing in the Danielle Tucker Band. I am a huge fan and it was a show well worth watching. Tucker is multi-talented, and she consistently surrounds herself with an entourage of talented musicians and singers. In a post on my Facebook page, she said she had more fun than anyone else there, and I believe it. That is why she is so entertaining. She undoubtedly loves what she does.
Since our office is in El Cajon, it was good to meet some of our newer business neighbors and catch up with the ones I have known for awhile. Found quite a few talented people that I would like to follow up with. They are a story on their own.
But shopping locally is not and should not be a once a year theme. It is the local businesses that make the community thrive, not just survive. And this is the case regardless of which community that you live in. So, if you were here in El Cajon on Saturday and saw some things you liked, but could not get, come back. And when you are looking for that really special gift for someone this holiday, you will have a better chance of making a lasting impression with something original from our community businesses. So do not let Small Business Saturday come and go. Make an effort to support your community by practicing local buying every day, for every occasion.
