Santa arrives in Margate to open the holiday shopping season.
MARGATE – The city’s annual Shop Small Business Weekend is more than just a day for parades, costumed characters and Santa Claus. It’s about making the holidays bright, not just for children of all ages, but for business owners hoping to get in the black before the end of the year.
“We don’t just do this to have a parade,” Margate Business Association Executive Director Anna Maria Blesia said Saturday. “It’s really about ensuring our businesses do well during the holiday season. And bringing Signing Santa for hearing impaired children is icing on the cake.”
The activities during the weekend bring out the crowds to shop in the stores that always give back to the community. Bocca Coal Fired Bistro provided free slices of pizza for the children, the Margate Mothers Association helped little ones do crafts, MJ Fairy Hair had the little girls lined up for sparkle extensions, Lucy the Elephant made an appearance aboard a float, and Sustainable Margate educated the children about how whales stay warm in the frigid waters of the North Atlantic.
The parade delivered Signing Santa aboard a Margate City surf boat, Miss New Jersey Victoria Mozitis arrived in a decorated golf cart and dancers from Leslie’s Dance Studio entertained with a kick line, a la Radio City Rockettes, in the middle of Ventnor Avenue.
Shop Small Business Weekend Friday will continue through Sunday, with great sales, discounts and two contests for shoppers, Blescia said.
“We have over 100 little boxes hidden outside businesses, and inside the boxes are all kinds of coupons and giveaways,” she said.
Contests include the Receipts Are All the Rage, and a Shop Small Selfie Contest.
Customers can take a photo of a receipt for any purchase made over the weekend or a selfie in front of their favorite store and send them to info@margatehasmore.com. One randomly selected winner will receive a gift certificate from the store of purchase. Winners will be notified via email.
For additional information on these events and much more go to www.margatehasmore.com.
