Business Organization of Old Town Clovis: Support mom-and-pop shops this season, year round

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend. Here in Old Town Clovis our merchants were able to grab some time with family and friends before returning to their shops on Black Friday and Small Business Saturday, and many were open on Sunday as well. This time of year the merchants do a majority of their sales and it is essential they are open and ready to greet both new and regular customers.

Old Town offered free horse-drawn carriage rides on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, which were appreciated by the locals, many of whom had out-of-town guests. We love when we have out-of-town visitors! Saturday was a very busy day in Old Town and merchants are grateful for the support they received. Thank you to those who shopped, noshed and relaxed in our little town over the holiday weekend.

#SmallBusinessSaturday is not just intended for the weekend of Thanksgiving. In fact, the hashtag was initially used to promote small businesses on any Saturday. So we ask our merchants to keep that entrepreneurship spirit going even after the holiday shoppers die down. You never know how much — online and offline — traffic you can gain from simply promoting a popular hashtag. We ask for continued support from the community and beyond, to shop in our small businesses.

I happened to be in San Diego over the weekend and our family made a trip to Julian, 60 miles east of San Diego. I was surprised at the number of people visiting this Gold Rush town on Black Friday. Apparently, this town is open even on Thanksgiving Day, providing a family activity beyond eating. Quaint, cute store fronts and lots of restaurants and places to try cider, beer and wine and of course, eat a piece of apple pie—Julian apples are known around the country as the best.

Not unlike Old Town Clovis, this quaint town is family-friendly and is a step back to a simpler time. They even had a horse drawn carriage, although I thought their horse was a bit slow. I always enjoy checking out small towns to see what they do that we can incorporate and enhance what we already have. What I saw was people enjoying being in the Cuyamaca Mountains and visiting this darling town, happy and relaxed, despite a shortage of parking and long lines to get into the restaurants — especially those selling apple pie! And I know the Julian merchants had to be pleased to see such support.

Old Town is looking forward to 2017 and to creating some wonderful memories in your life. Like us on Facebook and Instagram; we are also on Twitter and Pinterest. Be sure to follow us as we unfold the New Year.

Please don’t forget to support our Saturday Morning Year-Round Farmers Market. Our growers will be there every morning from 8 to 11:30 a.m. except for Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.

Wishing everyone a beautiful Christmas — a time to relax and be with your loved ones — and bright wishes for a 2017 filled with new adventures,even if those adventures are close to home! Those of us in Old Town feel blessed to live in this community and look forward to sharing it with you in the coming year.

This story was originally published December 2, 2016 at 9:10 AM with the headline "Business Organization of Old Town Clovis: Support mom-and-pop shops this season, year round."