Shop Downtown, Eat Downtown,Enjoy Free Parking, Free Jingle Bus, Bentleyville and More For A Day With The Family

I talked to Kristi Stokes from the Greater Downtown Council with a reminder to Shop Small Businesses and keep some money local. There are great deals at the major stores and a lot of them are reminding you they do have online stores as well if you can't make it to the store but want to keep the money local. Kristi also reminded me that a family could spend the whole day downtown and save money while keeping local.

Friday and Saturday the on street parking is free. (The hours are enforced but the parking is free.) The Jingle busses are running so you can get a bite to eat, shop a little and get a free ride to Bentleyville.

Shopping locally helps keep our money in our community. It helps employ our family, our neighbors, and our friends. It helps keep their doors open so they’re able to serve our tourists. You may save money by not shopping locally, but small business owners go above and beyond in customer service, something that can be worth more that a couple extra dollars in your pocket in the long run.

Small business owners also have a huge impact in the community. Think of how many benefits, fundraisers, and events that you’ve been to, been a part of, or heard about. Now think about how many times you’ve seen that it’s the small local businesses that support these functions. They put money, products, and services back into the community they live in.

See Duluth with a pair of eyes like a tourist.