Specials, sales, fun planned for Shop Weiser Day on Saturday

Shop local day will feature businesses around Weiser that are offering lots of great sales and specials on Saturday, Sept. 28.
 The event coincides with Weiser High School’s homecoming. Look for red and white pennants at participating businesses to know they are part of the promotion. The sports-related theme for the promotion is “Be a champion. Shop Local.”
 As an added enticement to get out and shop local on Saturday, the first 20 customers at each participating business will receive a chocolate football. One chocolate football at each business will have a wrapper with a special prize inside.
 Also, one lucky winner will take home the “Basket of Bucks,” a basket of gift cards from local businesses worth hundreds of dollars. Customers will get a raffle ticket with a purchase of $10 or more to enter the drawing. The raffle will take place at 4 p.m. on Sept. 28 on State Street in front of Weiser Classic Candy.
 This is the second shop local day in Weiser. The first was held in the spring, and organizers and business owners Patrick Nauman, with Weiser Classic Candy, and Stephanie Ragan, with Idaho Custom Designs, hope to have two each year.
 “It’s just kind of a reminder for everybody to support their local businesses,” Nauman said.
 Nauman said the first shop local day in the spring in Weiser was a success and local retailers and businesses want to build on that with a second locally organized promotion each fall.
 Two dozen businesses have signed up to participate in shop Weiser day. Some are located downtown and others around town, including Ridley’s. There will also be live entertainment by students enrolled in Victoria Arriero-Thomas Studios.
 Nauman said the shop local promotion focuses on retail stores and restaurants. The Weiser Chamber of Commerce is helping to publicize the promotion and coordinate activities.
 Another promotion to shop local will be coming in November with Small Business Saturday, a national event dedicated to supporting local businesses that falls between Black Friday and Cyber Monday.  
 Small Business Saturday was an initiative first launched by American Express in 2010. The goal every year is to encourage people to shop and dine at local businesses on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. When consumers spend their dollars at locally owned small businesses they boost the local economy and keep people working.