After you’ve snagged some deal at big-box stores on Black Friday, recharge your batteries for Small Business Saturday on Nov. 30.

For more than a decade, this set-aside shopping day is geared toward getting consumers to get out of chain retail stores and off the computer and into small, local businesses.

Small Business Saturday is sandwiched in between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, which makes for a three-day shopping extravaganza for sales and bargains.

Small Business Saturday is an annual holiday meant to call attention to the importance of small businesses in the economy and to encourage support for small companies, especially at the beginning of the holiday shopping season, according to Small Business Trends.

Many local communities host shopping events and businesses around the country host sales and specials to encourage local shoppers to stop by.

American Express originally trademarked the holiday back in 2010. But it’s since been picked up by many businesses and organizations throughout the country, including the U.S. Small Business Administration and tons of local chambers of commerce and downtown shopping districts.

In 2018, the Small Business Administration estimates that 108 million consumers supported small businesses last year on Small Business Saturday.

Small businesses are the lifeblood of the Coachella Valley. Some of the most eclectic and creative small businesses are located in our back yard. That includes eateries.

Some of our favorite shops, coffee shops and eateries to visit on Small Business Saturday are:

  • La Quinta Olive Company: This local shop boasts 50 different extra virgin olive oils that come from the top olive farms in Italy, Greece, Chile, Spain, and California.
  • Crystal Fantasy: Described as a shopping destination in downtown Palm Springs, this place has it all. From candles and greeting cards to jewelry and gems, you will find it here. This shop has incense, white sage smudge sticks, and so much more. This isn’t just shopping, it’s a spiritual experience.
  • Arriola Tortilleria: This much-beloved, go-to staple of authentic Mexican food is family-owned and located on Wilson Avenue in Indio. Arriola’s Tortilleria is home to the popular tamale boat. Since 1927, Arriola’s Tortilleria has continued to expand and evolve throughout the years providing authentic and delicious tortillas and other Mexican delicacies. Today, the business includes a tortilla factory that was built in 1965 on land adjacent to the original site.
  • IW Coffee: This coffee shop’s mission is simple and straightforward: To create and deliver an exceptional product and the experience that goes along with it. You will savor and enjoy both coffee and experience. Serving small batch, locally roasted beans, from Joshua Tree California.
  • La Tablita Mexican Restaurant: Located in Cathedral City, the beginning of this Mexican eatery was born in 1986, Mexico City. It was in the streets of metropolitan Mexico City that La Tablita’s founder, Eduardo Sanchez, found himself wanting to dine in an upscale restaurant by that same name, but being rejected from doing so for the antagonistic practice of restaurant patronage based on social status. Armed with a dream, his culinary skills, and determination, Sanchez gave life to La Tablita.
  • The Fine Art of Design: Located in Palm Desert, this store if for the lover of all things vintage when it comes to clothes. Established in 2011, this vintage shop features a curated selection of clothing and accessories. The shop receives about 75% of the inventory from local women who sell, trade or consign their precious fashions.