Raise your hand if you have already thought about holiday shopping this year. A lot of hands just went up. Raise your hand if you have thought about what’s available locally for gift-giving. We hope just as many hands went up.

Chautauqua County has a wide variety of shopping options with merchandise that would appeal to just about everyone on your gift list this year. Whether you’re looking for books, clothing, hardware, household goods, music merchandise, personalized items, specialty foods, or toys, you can find something right here in Chautauqua County. And while you’re shopping in local stores, you are supporting local merchants. These are our neighbors, friends, and family members who own small businesses including a bevy of boutiques and a raft of retailers. From Bemus Point to Westfield and from Dunkirk to Jamestown, you’ll find amazing locally owned shops that feature exceptional goods at all prices ranges.

The Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce works hard year-round to support and promote small local businesses, and those efforts get ramped up even more during the holiday season. Small Business Saturday is coming up Saturday, November 26. We hope you’ll watch for our online Small Business Saturday social media contest. We will be asking consumers to check in when they visit small local businesses on that day and use #ShopSmallCHQ. Each check-in will count as an entry into our contest when we will give away $500 worth of ShopLocalCHQ Gift Cards.

Throughout the county our communities are planning special events to encourage shoppers to support small businesses. The Jamestown Community Chamber is sponsoring a holiday window decorating contest for locally owned businesses in the 14701 zip code area. Businesses must be registered by November 17 and the contest will run November 19-December 4, encompassing both Small Business Saturday and the Downtown Jamestown Holiday Parade on December 3. Find more details online through the Chamber’s events calendar at www.chautauquachamber.org.

The Mayville-Chautauqua Community Chamber is running a Holiday Open House November 11-12 and again November 18-19 at 34 local businesses. Pick up a punch card at participating merchants, get it punched at least five times, and drop it off at your last stop to enter the contest. Merchants have donated prizes for this event. The map and details are available through the Chamber’s web events calendar.

Miracle on Main is back in Fredonia this year. Festivals Fredonia is coordinating this popular event which will feature Craft, Artist, and Food Vendors on December 3.

The City of Dunkirk is changing up its annual Small Business Saturday Holiday Market and has moved it to downtown for Christmas on Central. Craft and food vendors will be located in the Stearns Building, with fun family events from 2-7pm including horse drawn wagon rides, Santa and Mrs. Claus, children’s crafts and coloring contest, live music, and the annual tree lighting at City Hall at 5:30pm.

Westfield’s Christmas in the Village will include many special events the weekend of November 18-20 including a holiday market in Eason Hall, horse-drawn carriage rides, a hot toddy crawl, and the Let There Be Light Parade on Saturday the 19th at 7pm. The Westfield-Barcelona Community Chamber is sponsoring a holiday window decorating contest for local businesses to include judged winners in a number of award categories including Santa’s Workshop, Winter Wonderland, Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree, Toyland, and more.

These are just some of the special holiday events happening throughout the county. We hope you’ll participate and make a special effort this year to support small locally owned businesses when you’re doing your Christmas shopping.

BUSINESS AFTER HOURS SOUTHERN TIER BREWING IS

NOVEMBER 8

The Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce is pleased to bring back its perennially popular Business After Hours event at Southern Tier Brewing Company in Lakewood, Tuesday, November 8 from 5-6:30pm. These Business After Hours events are designed for businesspeople to stop in following their workday, meet some other businesspeople, and then head home or to dinner afterwards. Chamber member businesses can send two people at no charge, and non-members or anyone above the first two pays just $10 per person. Admission includes appetizers, a cash bar, a chance for door prizes when you submit your business card, and great opportunities for networking with other local businesspeople. Business After Hours at Southern Tier Brewing is sponsored by Southern Tier Brewing Company, Brooks-TLC Hospital System, DFT Communications, LaBella Associates, Media One Radio Group, National Grid, OBSERVER, and The Post-Journal. Space is limited so we recommend that you register early. Learn more or register online through the Chamber’s web calendar at www.chautauquachamber.org.

CHAMBER ANNUAL MEETING IS

DECEMBER 2

Register now to attend the Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce Annual Meeting at noon, Friday, December 2 at Webb’s Captain’s Table in Mayville. This event offers a great opportunity to help celebrate all the successes of the Chamber throughout 2022. Additional details will be announced shortly. The annual meeting features presentation of the Pam Lydic Coalition Builder Award and election of a slate of board members and officers for the year ahead. The price is $28 for a delicious lunch at Webb’s including soup, salad, and sandwich options. The Chamber Annual Meeting is sponsored by Brooks-TLC Hospital System, DFT Communications, Jamestown Community College, Law Offices of Sheila Starkey Hahn, Small Business Development Center at JCC, ServPro, OBSERVER, The Post-Journal, and Artone. Register online before November 28 through the Chamber’s web calendar at www.chautauquachamber.org.