DeKalb County small-business owners ready for busy season

In a weekend most known for Black Friday big box-store sales and crowded checkout lines, DeKalb County small-business owners said they hope shoppers will remember to think of them when buying gifts, too.

Businesses and mom-and-pop shops across the county will welcome customers all weekend for Small Business Saturday. It’s a national campaign meant to be a response to Black Friday and Cyber Monday consumer boons, encouraging the community to keep their dollars here. Local events include Sycamore’s Shop Small Crawl, the downtown DeKalb holiday vendor fair Merry Market and a Made in the Midwest market at Fargo Skateboarding in DeKalb, among others.

DeKalb’s annual Merry Market is a two-day downtown local business shopping spree, with more than 40 vendors offering that perfect holiday gift. Hosted by DeKalb Back Alley Market, the event runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday downtown.

Sycamore

At least two Sycamore shop owners closed the week of Thanksgiving in preparation for the weekend’s rush.

Kellie Erwin, the owner of children’s boutique store Adventure Sprouts, 235 W. State St., was one of them. She opened her shop Sept. 18.

“It’s been really great,” Erwin said. “I feel like we opened at the perfect time, just given that there was Pumpkin Fest coming up and a lot of events that were happening in downtown Sycamore. I’ve been very happy with how things have been, and the entire store has just been really well received by the community.”

Erwin, who grew up in Sycamore and recently moved back after 10 years, said running a children’s boutique has always been a dream of hers.

“I feel like Sycamore was a great place for it,” Erwin said. “To the best of my knowledge, there was really nothing specifically just geared toward children in the area, and I felt like there was kind of a void in that.”

Erwin said she thinks she’s found an underserved market and is really happy to see her vision come to life. Her children’s store offers clothes with sizes ranging from newborn up to youth extra large. A small selection of what Erwin called “mom and mini” clothes, for those who want to match their child’s fit to theirs, also are offered.

Despite only being open for two months, Erwin has managed to secure the local school spirit wear market. In addition to the children’s accouterments, Adventure Sprouts carries Sycamore Spartan and Sycamore St. Mary’s school spirit wear.

Adventure Sprouts is open from 10 a.m to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, from 10 a.m to 4 p.m. Saturday and from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday.

Erwin wasn’t alone in taking off the first part of Thanksgiving week to prepare for this weekend’s shopping blitz.

Joni Peterson, the owner of 35:35 Makers Collective, 265 W. Peace Road, is ready to welcome holiday shoppers.

“This is probably our favorite time of year,” Peterson said. “We love gift-wrapping gifts for our customers. We love just making sure they find the right gifts for their friends and family. We have so many husbands that come in with their kids and they’re shopping for their moms, or teachers or grandparents; a lot of husbands that are shopping for their wives. It is so much fun.”

Peterson’s 35:35 Makers Collective is unique because it also houses Vuur Lont Candle Co. – the only candle-pouring bar in DeKalb County.

“It’s amazing. It’s an experience that everyone loves,” Peterson said. “They go next store to the greenhouse and buy their favorite coffee or tea, and they sit and have this experience that you can’t have anywhere else in DeKalb County. It’s all about connecting with friends and family, and even your kids, and having them create something.”

35:35 Makers Collective is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday.

DeKalb

In DeKalb, SommsVintage, 866 W. Lincoln Highway, Store 16, is gearing up to take on its first Small Business Saturday.

Owner Jordan Sommers said he’s doing his best to prepare his shop to meet the demand. The vintage clothing establishment first opened for business Oct. 31.

“We did some restocking and things like that,” Sommers said.

At SommsVintage, patrons will find an array of items such as jerseys, vintage crew necks and Carhartt jackets.

Sommers said he doesn’t know how Small Business Saturday will differ from any other Saturday from a store traffic standpoint.

“I don’t know what to expect,” Sommers said. “Some Saturdays are really busy, and then other Saturdays we don’t get as many people. So, it just all depends. I really hope that it’s a good turnout.”

At Fargo Skateboarding, 641 E. Lincoln Highway, DeKalb, owner Ariel Ries said she’s hoping for a successful Small Business Saturday.

“We’re making sure we’re stocked and everything’s looking good in here, and making sure we have enough,” Ries said.

According to its website, Fargo sells skateboards, shoes, clothing, accessories, decks and more.

Ries said she also is preparing to bring back the venue’s “Made in the Midwest” pop-up market to kick off Small Business Saturday. The free-to-attend event, which will feature about 20 vendors, is expected to run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Ries said the market provides a space for makers and skateboarders to come together to revel in their creativity.

The event will feature artists selling creative works, vendors selling clothing and other items, skateboarding demonstrations and contests, and more.

“It’s a really cool community event,” Ries said. “Some people go out of town [for Small Business Saturday], but a lot of people are in town. They’re with their families for Thanksgiving. Usually that weekend, it just gives us all an excuse to come together. The skateboard community is [a] really positive, amazing thing, and to get us all together in one room celebrating people who are pushing what they do and their brands [gives] us a really fun thing to celebrate.”

Why shop local?

Sycamore Chamber of Commerce Executive Director RoseMarie Treml said she hopes Sycamore and DeKalb County residents consider shopping local this holiday season because she believes it helps build a thriving community for future generations.

“It sounds huge because it is huge,” Treml said. “When you shop local, it creates a ripple effect. It’s a positive impact on our economy, community and environment.”

DeKalb Chamber of Commerce membership manager Anna Wilson shared that sentiment.

“Try to check out some of the new shops and the businesses that are here, because you never know that you might find something beyond what some of the bigger stores might have,” Wilson said. “Shopping local, no matter where it is, is going to help our employers invest in their employees, which dribbles down to our families, our students and senior citizens. So, investing here locally helps to spread cheer here all season long.”

Treml noted that the city’s sales tax revenue generates a majority of Sycamore’s taxed revenue, which contributes toward the funding of city services.

“It’s literally an investment in our community’s growth,” Treml said. “Also, nowadays too, it supports our local jobs. Shopping local directly sustains the livelihoods of people in our community, like friends and your neighbors, and family members who actually work in or own these small businesses. I think sometimes we forget that.”