With Small Business Saturday lasting one day, a few Berthoud businesses decided to give the entire season a try.

“We are promoting shopping local throughout this holiday season,” said Melissa Feldbush, executive director of the Berthoud Area Chamber of Commerce. “We’re trying to get people kick-started instead of waiting until Small Business Saturday. We are trying to get people started holiday shopping earlier locally.”

Small Business Saturday is an American shopping holiday falling this year on Nov. 27, an event created by American Express the Saturday after Thanksgiving to encourage people to Shop Small at local businesses. The Berthoud chamber signed up as a Neighborhood Champion to host events and activities and hand out Shop Small swag.

Chambers of Commerce nationwide including the one in Berthoud also are promoting Small Business Season to encourage local shopping through the end of the holidays—Small Business Season isn’t a national holiday like Small Business Saturday but is being used as a marketing term to expand on promoting local shopping.

“We don’t have any big events surrounding this, but the overall message is don’t forget as you do your holiday shopping to buy it in Berthoud,” Feldbush said, pointing out the hashtag for the event as #buyitinberthoud. “For every $100 spent, $68 stays local. When you keep your money local, more of it stays local.”

In Berthoud, a Small Business Season event Nov. 16-19 will focus on retail businesses promoting a large number of sales, Feldbush said.

“More than once a year it’s a good idea to shop and support local,” Feldbush said. “We always encourage buying in Berthoud, because it does matter.”

Feldbush pointed to the benefits of shopping local to include increased sales tax revenue, elevated job growth and expanded support of local events and charity, as well as improving the overall economic vitality of the Berthoud community.

The Berthoud chamber also is supporting a couple of Small Business Saturday events Nov. 27.

“We have some businesses that already have activities going on that they do every year, and we’ll continue those,” Feldbush said.

The events include a maker’s market at City Star Brewing, where small businesses can set up booths at the downtown brewery, and Cowboy Christmas, also downtown.

The City Star Handmade Market will feature more than 15 vendors 1-5 p.m. in the taproom and outdoor beer garden under a tent, plus a new beer release and live music.

“It’s a great opportunity to showcase our local artisans and makers in Northern Colorado. We’re really passionate about what these guys are doing,” said Whitney Way, owner of City Star Brewing, about the market started in 2018. “There seems to be some chaos and concern about local markets and supply chains. We can avoid that by shopping local and working with some of our local businesses.”

Cowboy Christmas will be held outside The Rancher’s Wife from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. featuring food trucks, antique fire trucks, an old tractor, farmer’s market vendors, a vintage Christmas booth for decorating ornaments, and photos with Santa—he will arrive on a horse-drawn wagon alongside carolers on horseback.

“It kicks off small business and Christmas in Berthoud,” said Kelly Canino, owner of The Rancher’s Wife. “It’s starting the Christmas spirit with Santa. It gives kids plenty of time to get their wish list in, and it’s fun. It kicks off fun events and Christmas in Berthoud.”

Another holiday event is Giving Tuesday, a global movement that encourages giving and celebrates generosity through donations, volunteering and speaking out in the local community. The event this year is Nov. 30.

Berthoud doesn’t have a formal event for Giving Tuesday but does have Christmas in Berthoud, a nonprofit that hosts fundraisers and places giving trees in retail and public outlets. Community members are encouraged to participate in the fundraisers, shop for Christmas gifts for children in need and donate toward holiday food baskets.

“Giving Tuesday is one day. We try to expand upon it and do it more than just the one day,” Feldbush said.