Shop Local

If you have money to spend this holiday season, we suggest you spend it locally. The Downcity merchants are bringing it this year.

We already noted that the Calico pop-up shop opens on Friday. Another pop-up shop is RISD Expose, a student art sale in the space most recently occupied by WNWN. Throughout the holiday season events from Santa to ice sculpting will be taking place on Westminster to entertain you while you spend locally.

Oh, and all those who are concerned that the Downcity shops close too early, Thursdays and Saturdays through December, the shops on Westminster stay open until 8pm for your shopping pleasure.

Now excuse while we do a blatant cut and paste from the Shop Downcity blog:

1. What an amazing opportunity to SHOP LOCAL and support your community businesses.
2. SANTA, SANTA, SANTA!! Every Saturday from Thanksgiving to Christmas bring the family to visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus from 11am to 4pm. He’ll be strolling Westminster all day. Santa loves Providence and wants to meet all the local children!
3. ART IN ICE will be at Grant’s Block (at the corner of Union and Westminster) Saturday Nov 28, Dec 12, and 19, from 2:30-4:30pm. Live Ice Sculpture!!
4. On Saturday Dec 5th, Providence Preservation Society brings the holiday spirit to Westminster with their annual HOLIDAY STROLL. We can’t wait! Its always so festive, with the holiday music (live inside the stores!), the sneak peaks into Downcity lofts, and of course, the wonderful lessons on the history of our amazing Downcity architecture! Check their website to buy tickets, or pick them up the day of. Registration is in the lobby of the lovely Peerless Building, 150 Union St. If you love Providence this event is a must!
5. Worried about where to park? Don’t worry, the City of Providence has extended their Holiday Free Parking Program to run from Nov 16 through Jan 1. What does that mean? FREE PARKING throughout Downcity. Thank you City of Providence!
6. On Saturday Dec 12, the award winning WHEELER SCHOOL CHORUS, the 18 Wheelers, will be caroling up and down Westminster St. along side Santa and Mrs. Claus. These kids can really sing, and they’ll bring all the holiday hits so you can sing along too!
7. The Downcity shop owners love a little competition, and every holiday season they challenge each other to a WINDOW DECORATING COMPETITION. On Dec 19th, join Mayor Cicilline and other celebrity judges as they tour participating stores to pick the winning display.
8. The newest editions to Downcity are so awesome we can’t stop talking about them! Downcity welcomes CALICO, a vintage shop out of New Bedford, and RISD EXPOSE, a special holiday sale of fine art and design crafted by the students themselves. Both are musts for holiday gift hunts!
9. Shop until 8PM ON THURSDAYS AND SATURDAYS. Extended store hours in Downcity through the Christmas holiday.
10. Its not a holiday without Trinity Rep’s performance of A CHRISTMAS CAROL. The perfect end to a weekend in Downcity.

The Hope Street Merchants also want you to buy local this holiday season. Hope Street is part of the city’s Free Parking program, and the merchants associations is hosting a Winter Stroll on December 5th from 11am to 5pm.

Come on up to Hope Street and get yourself in the holiday spirit. Stroll the tree lit sidewalks and enjoy seasonal drinks and snacks with participating merchants. We’ll have carolers and other live music, street vendors, sales, a trolley service to and from downtown and there’s a rumor that a jolly fat guy with a beard might be making an appearance. Have some fun and share the cheer!!!

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And of course, Providence has an amazing amount of art that is made locally. Visit the Buy Art website for listings of art merchants by neighborhood.