Get ready to ‘shop small’ in downtown Camas this weekend

Local merchants in downtown Camas are preparing for another “shop small” start to the annual holiday shopping season. 

More than a dozen downtown Camas businesses will participate in the Downtown Camas Association’s annual “Little Box Friday” event the day after the Thanksgiving holiday, on Friday, Nov. 25. 

The DCA calls the event, which emphasizes supporting smaller, locally owned businesses instead of national “big box” retailers on Black Friday, the busiest shopping day of the year — a “celebration of the joy of shopping locally.”

Participating Camas merchants throughout the city’s historic downtown area will have “little boxes” of coupons, gifts and specials to offer customers who visit on Friday, Nov. 25. 

Shoppers who submit photos of their receipts totalling at least $100 from the Nov. 25 Little Box shopping event to the DCA by 8 p.m. Nov. 25 — via email at info@downtowncamas.com or on the DCA’s Facebook page at facebook.com/downtowncamas — will have a chance to win $100 worth of “Camas cash,” to be used at participating downtown Camas businesses. 

According to the DCA, more than a dozen downtown Camas merchants are set to participate in the Little Box Friday event from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 25, including: 

• 4 Ever Growing Kids: 440 N.E. Fourth Ave.
• Allure Boutique: 407 N.E. Fourth Ave.
• Arktana: 415 N.E. Fourth Ave.
• Bookish: 335 N.E. Fifth Ave.
• Caffe Piccolo: 400 N.E. Fourth Ave.
• Camas Antiques: 305 N.E. Fourth Ave.
• Juxtaposition: 425 N.E. Fourth Ave.
• LiveWell Camas: 417 N.E. Birch St.
• Navidi’s Olive Oils and Vinegars: 322 N.E. Cedar St.
• Naturally Healthy Pet: 317 N.E. Cedar St.
• Poppy & Hawk: 223 N.E. Fourth Ave.
• Runyan’s Jewelers: 327 N.E. Fourth Ave.:  
• The Soap Chest: 521 N.E. Everett St.
• The Wild Hair: 418 N.E. Cedar St.  

Golden Ticket event runs Nov. 25 through Dec. 9

The DCA’s popular Golden Ticket event also returns this year on Friday, Nov. 25, the day after Thanksgiving. 

Shoppers who make a purchase at participating merchants between Nov. 25 and Dec. 9, will receive a free “golden ticket” from each business. The tickets will be entered in a raffle for prizes from each individual merchant. Ticket holders also will have a chance to win the Golden Ticket “grand prize” — a $250 downtown Camas shopping spree, courtesy of Camas Real Estate Broker Carla Edwards.

Local shopping continues on ‘Shop Small Saturday’

Shoppers who want to continue their support of locally owned businesses also will find deals and specials during the annual “Shop Small Saturday” event the Saturday following the Thanksgiving holiday, on Saturday, Nov. 26. 

“Our downtown businesses will host specials in their shops on the Saturday after Thanksgiving and free ‘Shop Small’ bags and merchandise will be handed out while supplies last,” the DCA stated on its website touting the annual “Shop Small” event. “Downtown Camas ‘elves’ will also be out and about, handing out goodies and coupons sponsored by the Downtown Camas Association to add to the festivities.”

This year marks the 13th annual Shop Small Saturday. Founded by American Express in 2010, the annual “shop small” event focuses on the benefits of supporting locally owned, independent businesses during the holiday shopping season. 

According to the American Express Neighborhood Champion Program, around two-thirds of every dollar spent at a locally owned small business stays in that community. 

“That means shopping small could help bring things like better schools, smoother roads and new jobs to neighborhoods across the country,” the DCA noted in its Shop Small Saturday literature. 

The Shop Small Saturday event has brought an estimated $140 billion to small businesses across the country since its inception in 2010. 

According to the DCA, downtown Camas merchants participating in this year’s Shop Small Saturday event from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 26, include: 

• 4 Ever Growing Kids: 440 N.E. Fourth Ave.
• Allure Boutique: 407 N.E. Fourth Ave.
• Arktana: 415 N.E. Fourth Ave.
• Bookish: 335 N.E. Fifth Ave.
• Caffe Piccolo: 400 N.E. Fourth Ave.
• Camas Antiques: 305 N.E. Fourth Ave.
• HIdden River Roasters: 536 N.E. Fifth Ave.
• Juxtaposition: 425 N.E. Fourth Ave.
• LiveWell Camas: 417 N.E. Birch St.
• Naturally Healthy Pet: 317 N.E. Cedar St.
• Navidi’s Olive Oils and Vinegars: 322 N.E. Cedar St.
• Papermaker Pride: 327 N.E. Fourth Ave.
• Poppy & Hawk: 223 N.E. Fourth Ave.
• Runyan’s Jewelers: 327 N.E. Fourth Ave.:  
• The Soap Chest: 521 N.E. Everett St.
• The Wild Hair: 418 N.E. Cedar St.   

To learn more about each of these “shop small, shop local” events — and to see the most up-to-date lists of participating merchants, visit the DCA’s website at downtowncamas.com.