Fresno Street Eats Downtown Fresno event. Photo by Catalina Alvarez Jr. of Cat Eye View Photography.
Fresno Street Eats will host a Small Business Saturday pop-up event this weekend at the Sierra Vista Mall, hosting around 40 local food trucks, vendors, crafters and artisans in an event focused on highlighting small businesses in and around the Central Valley.
It is one of several events taking place across the Central Valley for the annual that encourages people to shop local the day after Black Friday. Started by American Express, Small Business Saturday is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year.
The free Fresno Street Eats event will take place from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday at the corner of Santa Ana and Clovis avenues.
“For us, Small Business Saturday is every day of the year; we only work with small businesses,” said Mike “Oz” Osegueda, president and founder of Fresno Street Eats. “When the calendar lines up in a way that we can do something like this to put a little more attention on our people, we’re all about it.”
Osegueda grew up working in small businesses. He has supported small, local businesses since before founding Fresno Street Eats, which has quickly grown into the city’s largest event organizer for food trucks and pop-up vendors.
He said a product from a local vendor is a thoughtful gift.
“Not only do you get to support local people, but at a time when a lot of people are looking for Christmas gifts or different things like that, I think it’s often a unique thing you can give someone,” Osegueda said.
He added that aside from the opportunity to view and purchase unique, hand-made items, the ability to physically walk from one vendor to another offers a browsing experience you can’t replicate online.
“The internet is great for a lot of things. It’s great if you know what you want,” he said. “I think the idea of going around and looking at stuff is great for when you don’t know what you want.”
Seasons Mercantile
The Seasons Mercantile pop-up market at the northwest corner of Marks and Bullard avenues is hosting an extended holiday market for home decor, jewelry, glassware, accessories and more for Small Business Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.
Nine local vendors will gather as part of a planned series of seasonal pop-up markets. Blair Sobba, owner of Vintage Bird, is the event organizer.
“We’ve created a fun and festive environment where shoppers can browse for one-of-a-kind gifts, decorations, and accessories while enjoying holiday music and sipping a mimosa,” Sobba said in a statement. “We had a great turnout last weekend, and it was amazing to see the nearby restaurants benefit from the increased foot traffic. It’s a win-win for everyone involved!”
Scratch and win
Main Street Hanford and cannabis dispensary HerbNJoy have partnered to make Small Business Saturday pay for shoppers in Downtown Hanford. Customers will get a scratcher with their purchase that could mean an instant 5-20% discount.
Brews and small biz
Tioga Sequoia Beer Garden in Downtown Fresno is hosting a Small Business Saturday popup from 1-6 p.m. with a lineup of local vendors.
Bookish bash
In Fresno’s Tower District, the Bookish Bookstore is hosting a Small Business Saturday event from noon to 4 p.m. at 520 W. Olive Ave.
Unique antiques
Small Business Saturday will also be celebrated at the Clovis Antique Mall at 532 5th St. from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Mixed arts
Mixed Message Art studio and proprietor Kathleen Mattox will host a Small Business Saturday event from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 1310 8th St. in Sanger.
This post was originally published on here
