First ever Downtown DeKalb Sweet Stroll will treat shoppers to speciality items ahead of Valentine’s Day

DeKALB – The first ever Downtown DeKalb Sweet Stroll is fast approaching.

The event, which will take place from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, will see more than a dozen businesses play host to vendors of specialty sweets, as well as fun activities.

Vendors say they are ready for the festive Downtown DeKalb Sweet Stroll – set days before Valentine’s Day and hosted by Back Alley Market and Willrett Flower Company – and the potential foot traffic coming their way.

Cortland resident Jessica Eberly of Jess Desserts said she’s looking forward to the event.

“I hope it brings some new customers, and [I hope to] meet some new people and give me new opportunities to make treats for everyone,” Eberly said.

The most popular items made by Jess Desserts are the sugar cookies, cake and hot chocolate bombs.

Eberly said she hopes to help give patrons the most value for their money.

“I’m going to do some variety boxes of hot chocolate bombs and then offer different selections of the sugar cookies, like individual, two-pack, four-pack,” Eberly said.

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Kat Willrett (left) and Mary Grace McCauley, co-owners of Willrett Flower Company, get the shop set up Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2023, for Saturday’s Downtown DeKalb Sweet Stroll event. The event, which will take place from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, will see more than a dozen businesses play host to vendors of speciality sweets, as well as fun activities. (Mark Busch - mbusch@shawmedia.com/Mark Busch - mbusch@shawmedia.co)

The event is not ticketed and is open to the public. Participants who pick up a “Sweet Stroll Passport” at any participating business can get the card stamped at all 12 locations and turn it in at the last stop to be entered to win one of several Valentine’s Day prizes.

Willrett Flower Company co-owner Mary Grace McCauley said the idea behind the Downtown DeKalb Sweet Stroll is twofold.

“We wanted to bring exposure to all of the merchants in the area, but we really just wanted to create something fun for people to do,” McCauley said. “I know February is kind of a boring time of year where there’s not as much going on as there is during the spring and summer. So, we really just wanted to create something fun now that the holidays are over to bring people out and give them a reason to hang out downtown and see what all of the shops have to offer.”

More than a dozen business are gearing up to take part in the Downtown DeKalb Sweet Stroll, with drink specials and fun activities for patrons to enjoy. Among them, Willrett Flower Company is expected to play host to a candle-making pour party class with Illuminate Space and Cheesekake and Ko.

Other downtown participating businesses include Blu Door Decor, Hillside Restaurant, Canvas Hair Studio, Cracker Jax, Create Health Mobility Clinic, Dimensions Dance Academy, Ducky’s Formal Wear, Found Home and Vintage MarketPlace, Herbal Oracle, Kid Stuff, REVEAL studio, El Jimador, Tapa La Luna, Perchance, This & That Collectibles and Robin’s Nest Bookshoppe.

DeKalb resident Ashley Zukauski of Cookies in Crime said the idea of participating in the Downtown DeKalb Sweet Stroll had piqued her interest.

“I kind of want to join in with other businesses and see what it’s all about,” Zukauski said.

At Cookies in Crime, Zukauski specializes in baking soy-free, dairy-free cookies and cake.

“The difference between me and all the other small businesses is I use avocado butter,” Zukauski said. “It has more of a calming taste to it per se, but a lot of people love it.”

Zukauski said she sees several potential benefits to taking part in the Downtown DeKalb Sweet Stroll.

“I hope to get some more followers and supporters,” Zukauski said. “That would definitely be awesome. I’m still trying to get more on my page and all that, but definitely some new people who would be my new customers. That would be cool, too.”

McCauley said it may be a real possibility that the Downtown DeKalb Sweet Stroll becomes an annual event, depending on how everything goes.

“As long as we have positive feedback from the businesses and the vendors who are involved and the community, I don’t see any reason not to make it an annual event as long as it is something that works out for all of the businesses that are involved and the businesses that are popping up,” McCauley said. “It seems like it’s definitely something that we could continue doing going forward. It seems like we’ve had a lot of interest from the community and all of the businesses seem to be really excited about it as well.”

IF YOU GO:

What: Downtown DeKalb Sweet Stroll, offering specialty vendor items

When: 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 11

Where: More than a downtown businesses in DeKalb

Information: To read more about participating businesses and vendor offerings, visit www.facebook.com/events/882567626525118/