Historic New Castle is encouraging shoppers to check out its small businesses this Saturday.
Laura Fontana with the New Castle Community Partnership says shoppers should start in the courthouse, where they get what she calls a “passport.”
"You take this passport, you go to each business, they tag that you’ve been there. You bring back that finished passport to the courthouse. And then you’re entered for a drawing to win a gift basket that all the businesses have made donations to.”
There will also be free gift wrapping. New this year are a holiday window display contest and pop-up vendors in the courthouse.
Fontana says supporting small businesses is especially important for a historic town.
“As a historic town, we want to maintain the historic character of the town. Small businesses tend to be able to incorporate into small spaces," said Fontana. "So the historic district doesn’t have unlimited areas where a big box store could be built.”
Fontana adds that when businesses work together to attract shoppers, it benefits the whole town’s economy.
“So we do see in times when the businesses work together as a collaborative unit— one business has indicated it’s her best day of the year," she said.