Cedarburg officials ask shoppers to shop local this Small Business Saturday

CEDARBURG, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Created by American Express in 2010 as a way to help local businesses gain exposure, Small Business Saturday is going strong 11 years later with communities across the country promoting their local shops and restaurants.

"This is a special day that we get to celebrate the local shopping and small businesses here," said Maggie Dobson, Executive Director of the Cedarburg Chamber of Commerce. "Especially here in Cedarburg. We promote local all year round."

Dobson says it never hurts to shop local, with dozens of businesses throughout the community participating in the unofficial holiday, offering sweet deals and showing off their latest creations. Dobson touched on the importance of supporting those businesses following the challenges the pandemic presented.

"Especially kicking off the holiday season," Dobson said. "We're lucky to have a lot of smaller businesses, a lot of small mom and pap shops that can support the holiday season with gifts and things of that sort, but all year round it's important to shop locally to keep those communities the way that you want them and why you chose to live where you do."

The chamber handed out $500 worth of gift certificates to lucky shoppers throughout the day which could be used at local shops.