On this episode of the Post Podcast Downtown Hays Development Corporation executive director Sara Bloom and director of events and operations, Allie Glidewell shares information about Small Business Saturday and more.
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Transctipt
James Bell
As the holidays are quickly approaching the downtown Hays Development Corporation is getting ready for their series of events. Executive Director Sara Bloom and director of events and operations Allie Glidewell. stopped by to talk to us about a little bit what's going on this season on this episode of the post podcast.
Allie Glidewell
So right now we have the downtown dollar giveaway, which is going on participating businesses. So what that is, when you when you shop participating stores, whenever you spend their denote $1 amount, it could be $10, it could be $100. Depending on the store, you get a ticket, this ticket enters you to win in the downtown dollar giveaway, which is taking place on December 18, where you could win $1,000 or $2,000 in Downtown dollars.
Sara Bloom
and other great prizes are participating businesses.
Allie Glidewell
Yes, so that's going on that started that first weekend in November the fourth all the way through December 18. So you have so much time to gather bunches of chances to win.
Sara Bloom
And if you want to get at like the top of the pile and earn double tickets, that customer appreciation weekend starts on December 9 10th and 11th. When you shop at those businesses you get not one but two tickets every time you spend that minimum amount which ranges from everything from like $10 It breeds to $50 at Refine and Simply Charmed and
Allie Glidewell
It's 100 at the Furniture Look it's actually only 25 It's Simply Charmed, Breath, The Gamers Guild there's a ton of places,
Sara Bloom
So and lots of different ways in amounts that you have to spend. So yeah, check that out. coupon books are also happening.
Allie Glidewell
Yep. So many of those participating businesses also are selling coupon bucks or $10. But they have hundreds and hundreds of dollars in saving. So if you're trying to get some Christmas shopping done, but also want to earn tickets, the coupon bucks are great way to do that.
James Bell
Awesome win win win. Yeah, it'll relate. Yeah, and no wait for wins because it's a win for the community. Because you're shopping local. We're gonna talk more about that as well.
Sara Bloom
I mean, I think we promote shopping local all the time, especially in downtown Hays supporting your friends and your neighbors you're supporting the people that are supporting your auctions and your sports teams and your fundraisers, all the things.
Allie Glidewell
Great way to segue into Small Business Saturday, which is November 27, and the day after Black Friday. So we understand that you can't get necessarily every single product in downtown Hays or Hays America, we get that. But also, there's so much that you can't get so remember to keep your very small businesses top of mind this year, we will actually be doing a fun little giveaway the beginning of that week, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday on social media where we're giving away a cute little tote bag and coupon books as well. And then Sara is actually gonna be going around on Small Business Saturday.
Sara Bloom
I'm very excited about this nicely. So we have partnered with brief Coffee House in downtown Hays. And if you don't know if you weren't at one of the parade, they have purchased a coffee mobile it's so cute. Very cute. So I get to drive around in the coffee mobile for three hours on Small Business Saturday literally yelling Thank you for shopping small Thank you for shopping downtown Hayes and giving away coffee and hot chocolate and cookies. So watch for the automobile. I'll be wearing a Santa hat and driving around and they will be very big.
Allie Glidewell
It does it reminds me something like a Dr. Seuss mobile. I just keep calling it the put put mobile.
Sara Bloom
We better lighten it up we better make it look pretty fast.
Allie Glidewell
It's going very fun. Yeah. And then immediately after Small Business Saturday, we have a Giving Tuesday campaign which is gonna start on November 30. So we our office did several things last year or this year that supported small businesses or the teacher program things like that. We want to do something to help the nonprofits as well. So Sarah contacted Redeem Design. If you want to finish those you can sure so.
Sara Bloom
With redeem designs, and basically said we want to sell something really cool that we can you have have support nonprofits so essentially they have created this really unique graphic T design. It has a bison it's a little hard on his chest. It says together we give which is the National Giving Tuesday slogan and then it's got 67601 which is of course our zip code on it. And you can purchase it in three different styles and three different colors so short sleeve T Long Sleeve tee or hoodie in black, navy or maroon. So we've got something for the Hayes Hi Pam, we've got something for P fans. We've got something for generic. We did make it a very simple design so men or women can wear it you don't have to worry about the soft pink. Yeah interview. Good luck. But essentially you can go to downtown hayes.com backslash Giving Tuesday. You can check out the designs now. But then we will the store will open on the 30th it will last for six days through that Sunday, December 5 And then you can select from a drop down every time you make a purchase and it will support a local nonprofit And we did not limit it to downtown nonprofits. Any nonprofit in Hays can get signed up for this. I think we have almost 20 signed up right now they have until November 29. To sign up was like, literally the day before we start selling these T shirts. If you're not on our list, you can still get on our list. And then hopefully, at the end of that week, we can write some pretty large tricks. And we loved getting to support the retailers and restaurants. And now we're excited to support the nonprofits as well. And if it goes, well, maybe this is an annual thing. Maybe we do a GivingTuesday shirt every year. But we're a 501 C three nonprofits reached out to us and asked what are you doing? And we thought, you guys are really smart. We should really do that. We should we should support ourselves, maybe. So we're excited for that. I'm 30th.
Allie Glidewell
Yeah, it'll be very cute. So that will end on December 5. December 3, though, so taking just like a little step back is our annual frost fest. Christmas tree lighting, which is very fun. Last year, our organization tripled the amount of lights on that tree in Union Pacific park next to the pavilion. So it's gonna be huge and beautiful. And they're actually already up. The city took advantage of all the warm weather. So the the lights are there. We're just gonna wait until the third to light it up.
Sara Bloom
Thank your parks department.
Allie Glidewell
Honestly, because they're the best. But we'll have a storytime from the library. There. They're a little chilly mascot there penguin will come down, read a story, his little book that they put out every year. We'll have little carolers Tiger tots are going to Carroll, which is going to be very cute. I'm very excited about that. Santa Mrs. Claus will be their breed again. We'll be giving out hot cocoa.
Sara Bloom
And the sunflower Clydesdales. carriage rides
Allie Glidewell
Are back baby. Nice. Yeah,
Sara Bloom
We're excited. That's so popular. Yes. They were excited a lot. We're really excited.
Allie Glidewell
We're always excited. If we aren't excited, we're not doing something right. Because we can't get excited about our own stuff. What are we doing?
Sara Bloom
Yes, but yeah, lots of things happening that night as well. Yeah, so
Allie Glidewell
that'll be from five to seven. But the Clydesdales the carriage rides are going to go until eight.
Sara Bloom
And the tree will actually be lit by our mayor at 6 pm. So make sure you're there before six if you want to see the lights turn on but we'll have activities throughout the night.
Allie Glidewell
Yeah, should be really good. The following day, that Saturday, December 4 Is the winter Artwalk. We are we do not organize, just promoting.
James Bell
We had Brenda on actually this week, Brenda Meder from the Arts Council. we talked a little bit about this. So yes, well, yeah, shouldn't be in tuned in on that one. Hopefully,
Sara Bloom
perfect. But we'll be hosting a winter craft fair and market in conjunction with the artwork that's inside the fox, you can sign up now if you'd like to be a vendor for just $25 runs from 9 am to noon, check it out. There is a Facebook event already. You can sign up with Fox. They're the ones accepting the payments in the forums. Yeah.
Allie Glidewell
So that should be really fun.
James Bell
Yeah, very cool scenarios, super small business.
Sara Bloom
Those crafters that you know, that's equally as important and also pay. I mean, they're still paying take sales tax as well. They're still supporting the economy and putting money back in our community. So yeah, equally as important.
Allie Glidewell
Yeah. December 9 is our customer appreciation weekend that Sarah was talking about where you get double tickets. Again, just keep shopping local.
Sara Bloom
And if you're listening to this in your business, we highly encourage you to get signed up for the process parade as well. We'll be back on to talk about all of the events happening on December 18, which include the parade and movie nights and stuff at the library. But right now, we need you to sign up for that illuminated parade and get excited that we're back in person this year, because we weren't last year and are back in person. They should again, once again, we're very excited to be back in person and to bring the fastest parade back.
Allie Glidewell
Yeah. Yes. So if you have any questions about registration for the parade, like feel free to go ahead and reach out but it's a story Christmas night is the theme. So it should be very, very live up this year. Very beautiful, very fun. I love that.
James Bell
It's like that's, to me. Frost Fest is like the epitome of living in Hays. When it comes together. You know, it's just it's a beautiful celebration. It's it's not commercial. I mean, there is some commercial aspect to it. But it's just a great way to get the community together. And there's always the hot cocoa and the I don't know, it's just It warms the heart warms my heart anyway, I can't speak for anybody else. I love
Allie Glidewell
We love it too. Also, if you want to volunteer for the frost fest parade, if you want to help guide traffic, maybe judge a float, helped you registration, things like that we have we have corn and a movie night, Movie Night, all sorts of things. Feel free to reach out because we love it when the community gets involved.
Sara Bloom
That's the case. In any event, we are always looking for volunteers whether you want to sit on a board or a committee or just volunteer that day. Get involved. We love seeing you downtown and helping out and we really try to make it worth your while and we do Yeah, we usually have pretty good freebies for our volunteers to try to use. Yeah.
James Bell
Very cool. Well, guys, we got to get over the news. Any last thoughts where we go?
Sara Bloom
Shop local, think downtown first downtown, he's calm. We're on Facebook. We're on Twitter, we're on Instagram, all the things check us out and thanks for supporting local Happy holidays.
James Bell
Have you excellent Yeah. So Thanksgiving are all the holidays. Oh, it's ever except for Halloween is gone. My kids very sad about that he doesn't care about Christmas for Thanksgiving he just wants to
Sara Bloom
Trick or treat was amazing. Just thanks for everyone. That was awesome.