PITTSTON, Pa. — Display tables are already decked for the holidays in shops up and down Main Street in Pittston, with an item or two you might find under the tree this Christmas.
"I think small businesses have really great stuff to offer that you can't find in chain stores or online. So, I think it's really nice to go check out those stores and find a unique gift for Christmas," said Molly Blaskiewicz, who works at the Gypsy Angel Row Boutique.
This Friday, there's something new to celebrate in the city.
"This is the first year for Pink Friday," explained Main Street Manager Mary Kroptavich. "We're very excited one of our business owners from Grace and Park approached us about doing this new initiative."
The idea behind Pink Friday is to shop small ahead of Black Friday.
"I know when I was raising three kids, and I was at home, I would go out on Black Friday, and by the time Small Business Saturday ran around, either I was just too tired to spend, or my money was gone. And I didn't have a chance to get out on a Saturday," said Grace and Park co-owner Sandy Eramo.
Eramo hopes that an incentive to shop small will make a difference for boutiques, such as hers in Pittston, by bringing people there before they spend their holiday cash at the big box stores.
"We want to try to change up that mindset and get people to come downtown shopping on the 17th, the first Friday before Thanksgiving, and get people in and do their shopping and spend it local," added Eramo.
Many of the shops up and down Main Street will offer sales and other incentives for shoppers.
"All of these small businesses have come together. They're all having certain deals. Some are going to have live music; we're going to have food trucks down here. So they're all working together to really promote this and to have people come down and have a great time," added Kroptavich.
"Hopefully, it's something that's going to grow into something a lot bigger," said Eramo.
You can learn more about Friday's event in Pittston by visiting this link.