What’s happening: Ahead of the Thanksgiving break, Oakland County officials met with downtown Farmington business owners and other local stakeholders at Dearborn Music’s Farmington location in a concerted effort to encourage county residents, neighbors, and visitors to shop at their locally-owned small businesses this holiday shopping season. The presentation promoted Oakland County’s “Shop Small and Local” campaign for the 2022 holiday season. And while “Shop Small Saturday” has since passed, the message to shop local carries throughout this holiday season.

What it is: Oakland County has created the Shop Small & Local website where users can search for holiday event listings by community, view which businesses were nominated as “Local Gems,” and small business and community partners can access additional resources from the county.

Who was there: Oakland County Economic Development Director Ingrid Tighe, Dearborn Music owner Rick LeAnnais, Loft Cigar Lounge owner and Downtown Development Authority Vice Chair Donovan Singleton, and Downtown Farmington Executive Director Kate Knight attended the event. A video of the presentation is available online via the Oakland County Facebook page.

Farmington Focus: Downtown Farmington is promoting its Downtown Farmington Gift Card this holiday shopping season, which can be used at 29 participating small businesses in the downtown area. It’s a list that includes Chive Kitchen, Dearborn Music, Farmington Brewing Company, and more than two dozen other locally-owned small businesses. The gift cards are available for purchase online HERE.

Why it’s important: "Nine out of ten Downtown Farmington businesses are independent, and a third of those are women- or minority-owned," said Knight. "With every dollar you spend shopping downtown at a small business, 67 cents stay in the local community. Downtown Farmington is proud to feature more than 150 small businesses within a five-minute walk. Spending your dollars downtown is a great way to contribute to a thriving local and regional economy. Our merchants thank you, and your gift recipients will, too."

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