Avon Lake Annual Shop Local Event 'Doubles Down', Begins Sunday

AVON LAKE, OHIO — What began several years ago as a day-long celebration of local retailers and shops is being extended this year to a nearly seven-week campaign designed to encourage local residents to shop local in year when small businesses have been hit especially hard because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

This year’s Shop Local campaign in Avon Lake begins Sunday and will extend through Dec. 18, Ted Esborn, the city's economic development director announced Friday. The annual effort to support local businesses began several years ago and shifted to a weeklong event in 2018.

Avon Lake officials added a gift card component to the campaign in which local retailers each donated a $50 gift card, which went toward a grand prize totaling $1,700 from local business and dining establishments. This year, in addition to local businesses all contributing to the effort, the City of Avon Lake is purchasing a second gift card from each retailer. Beginning Sunday, residents are able to begin receiving raffle tickets from local businesses, which will go toward daily drawings which will begin on Nov. 16.

Each weekday between Nov. 16 and Dec. 11 (with the exception of Thanksgiving and Black Friday), city officials will draw winners from two local businesses and winners will be selected for a $50 gift card. Winners will be announced on Avon Lake’s social media channels and a grant prize winner will eventually be selected from an anticipated 10,000 raffle tickets, officials said. A total of 35 local businesses are participating in this year’s Shop Local campaign, which will include a $1,750 grand prize.

“Shop Local-Shop Avon Lake has evolved over the years as we have tried to find what excites and motivates Avon Lake residents to get out to these local businesses,” Esborn said in the news release. “People had fun with the raffle format last year, so we have doubled down on that.”