Sat 11/24
We hope you spent the Friday after Thanksgiving relaxing, reading and recovering from the overeating you shouldn’t have done, and not at Walmart trying to get a bargain on something you don’t really need.
So now you’re fresh and rested for Small Business Saturday, a great opportunity to get unique gifts for the people on your holiday list while helping to circulate money within the community.
But where to go? Cleveland is lucky to have an increasing number of neighborhoods packed with small, locally owned businesses. You could probably spent the whole day in Tremont, Gordon Square or Ohio City; you’d have to divide Lakewood up by neighborhoods, there’s so much there. Here are a couple more out-of-the-way offerings you may not have thought of.
The Hamilton Collaborative on the eastern fringe of AsiaTown is holding its first Happening at the Ham from noon-6pm. This isn’t strictly a shopping event (in fact, they’re urging people not interested in shopping to come here instead) but more of an open house so people can check out all the creativity going on in this sprawling former industrial complex, best known to many as the new home of the ingenuity Festival.
They’ll be offering walking tours with kegs at each stop where they’ll be selling seven different local beers in custom pint glasses. And you can learn more about what goes on including Ingenuity’s year-round programs, Skidmark Garage’s do-it-yourself motorcycle repair, Rebuilders Xchange recycled furniture and salvage, Soulcraft CLE’s community woodworking space, custom furniture company 3 Barn Doors, AO Architecture Office’s design services, and compost creators Rust Belt Riders (Hint: I wouldn’t mind finding some of their compost under my Christmas tree).
If you’re heading over to Lakewood, make a stop at rock club/bowling alley Mahall’s 20 Lanes, which is hosting a building-wide holiday popup from 11am-5pm. They’ll be serving brunch and drinks to fortify browsers who can check out jewelry, body products and soaps, vintage housewares and clothing, collectibles and antiques, toys, original art, hand-sewn purses, and cat toys.
Drop in at the Northeast Ohio Hispanic Center for Economic Development at the corner of West 25th and Clark where you’ll find ten Latino-owner small businesses offering jewelry, beauty products, crafts and foods — some of which you can eat on the spot. That’ll be going on from 9am-3pm.
Cleveland, OH 44114
Lakewood, OH 44107