WORCESTER—The weekend after Thanksgiving marks the beginning of the Christmas shopping season, and since 2010, that Saturday has been designated as “Small Business Saturday.”
This year, it falls on Nov. 25, and the Small Business Association noted that mom-and-pop operations are still recovering from the effects of the pandemic. Small businesses need consumer support, and here is a partial list of some in Worcester which will be open this weekend.
Located at 25 Sagamore Road, The Worcester Center for Crafts this weekend will hold a holiday marketplace, celebrating handmade items, and featuring a wide variety of unique gifts for men, women and children. The festival is held indoors, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday through Sunday, and there is a $5 admission fee. The center also offers a handcrafted shop and a series of workshops.
The Worcester Public Market, located at Green Street and Kelley Square, is home to several small business and food stalls, one of which is Girly Girl Soaps. Girly Girl offers handcrafted soap and body products. The store is open Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and will have 20 percent off storewide.
The Burncoat Center for Arts and Wellness, 75 Burncoat St., is also a one-stop shop for handmade wares from more than 50 New England artisans, “from practical and useful to abstract and whimsical,” according to the Web site. There is original wall art for sale as well. Visit them from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Worcester Wares is located at 105 Commercial St., at the DCU Center (door 22). You can show your Worcester pride with neighborhood shirts, including “Burncoat is Beautiful,” “Main South is Marvelous,” “Tatnuck is Terrific,” and graphic tees with “Grafton Hill” and “Vernon Hill.” There are stickers, keychains, puzzles, and jewelry, all with a Worcester theme. Hours on Saturday are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
For your literary friends, head over to 623 Chandler St. Root and Press has a wide array of books, from New York Times Best Sellers, to children’s books, and local history. You can grab breakfast or lunch while you browse, too. They’re open Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Tidepool Bookshop, located at 372 Chandler St., offers new and classic titles. If you go, check out the mural painted by Margaret McCandless. The mural and other smaller vignettes around the store include book and poem references. They’re open Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and shoppers can enjoy 10 percent off and an ARC (advanced reader copy).
CC Lowell Art Supply, at 455 Pleasant St., will be open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, offering a wide variety of art supplies and custom framing services.
Central Mass Scuba, 304 Shrewsbury St., will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday. The store offers scuba and snorkeling equipment, including masks, fins, snorkels, wetsuits, and regulators. You can also sign up for lessons for certifications for all types of scuba diving. fins snorkels. There will be in-store deals, and patrons can call 508-770-0689 to make an appointment if the regular hours don’t work.
Sensory Station Toys, 1078 West Boylston St., Suite 103, is a year-old educational supply store, selling sensory-based toys and children’s books, with the goal of improving motor and cognitive skills. This weekend, shoppers can receive 15 percent off purchases $100 or more. Regular hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; the store will open at 8:30 on Friday.
For unique consumable gifts, Maker and Main, 162 Harding St., will be open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday. It’s a specialty grocery store, featuring local farmers and brewers.
Similarly, Ed Hyder’s Mediterranean Marketplace, 408 Pleasant St., specializes in dips, salads, oils, wines, spices, and more in person. (If you are planning a route, this store is across from CC Lowell’s.)
If there is plant lover in your life, The Plant Ward, 1102A Pleasant St., offers an array of houseplants and indoor gardening supplies, which will, the Web site says, “help you create the jungle of your dreams.” The store is open Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Seed to Stem, 138 Green St., not only offers plants and planters, but also lifestyle items, including jewelry, candles and burnable sage, and soaps. Saturday hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Taproot Treasures, 1200 West Boylston St., (on the West Boylston line) will be open on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and offer 30 percent off tumble stones, palm stones and heart stones. There will be a 50 percent off table along with a giveaway for all who purchase. In addition, Sarah Schuyler of EternalLuminescence will be in the book room with her original jewelry pieces.
Christine M. Quirk is the former editor of Mothertown and has written for the Telegram & Gazette, Bay State Parent, and the Times & Courier. She is a novelist and an educator, and will be out shopping on Saturday. She can be reached at cmqwriter@gmail.com
