You’ve certainly heard all the arguments in favor of buying from locally owned businesses instead of chains, no need to repeat them here. (Or is there? Money stays in town, your neighbors are employed, they buy stuff, pay taxes, it’s good for everybody — you know. Even if you shop at Wal-Mart, in your heart, you know.)
So Saturday, 2-8 pm at Seaboard Station (off Peace Street next to Peace College across from the State Government mall), local businesses in the Shop Local Raleigh organization will kick off National Independents Week. No, the week isn’t named for the Indy, though it certainly could be, come to think of it. Local products, local produce, wines, and music. Also, face painting for the kids, and a dog wash for Otto.
Yeah, it’ll be hot. Wear shorts. They’re setting up tents, and Seaboard Station itself is a bunch of locally owned stores and restraurants— with AC.
Shop Local Raleigh is the newest effort to get local businesses networked and marketing as a team. I wrote a couple of years ago about an earlier, similar group called Raleigh Unchained. Shop Local Raleigh has a lot of the same folks behind it. It’s Raleigh Unchained 2.0.
