This month I am making “shopping small” a priority, starting in my own community. Join me in kicking-off the holiday season at MainStreet Libertyville’s Shopping Passport Festival on Saturday, November 26 as part of Small Business Saturday. Local merchants have planned a day of family activities, fitness demonstrations, shopping—of course, and opportunities to win fabulous prizes. I love how Libertyville is diverse in storefronts and services, and I love walking the tree-lined streets all year round. But best of all, when I shop local, I know I am directly supporting local families like my own, creating community pride, and increasing property values throughout the village.
Starting at 9:00 a.m., MainStreet Libertyville’s Shopping Passport Festival will feature two locations with family activities and fitness demonstrations, each with an exciting line-up of activities throughout the day. And shoppers who join in the Shopping Passport Festival by collecting shopping passport stamps from participating merchants can qualify for raffle prizes from over 30 MainStreet Libertyville merchants. Simply turn in your completed, stamped shopping passport at a participating store before the event ends to be entered for a chance to win a prize. Prizes range from gift baskets to gift certificates and even Cubs tickets. You won’t want to miss this.
Family Activities
Petranek’s Pharmacy, 426 N. Milwaukee Ave., Libertyville
9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. C&A Robot Factory LEGO Activities and Presentation
11:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Animal Education & Rescue Pet Meet and Greet
3:15 p.m. – 4:15 p.m. Artist@Heart Marbleized Paper Bookmarks
Fitness Demonstrations
Dancenter North, 540 N. Milwaukee Ave, Libertyville
9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. CrossFit Freedom Circuit Training
10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Heather’s Gym Barre, Tabata Training and Kettlebell
12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. Black Cat Yoga Power Flow Class
Surprise your early-rising kids with a LEGO activity from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. at Petranek’s Pharmacy (426 N. Milwaukee Ave.), where C&A Robot Factory will have thousands of LEGO bricks ready for your child’s budding imagination. You also won’t want to miss the LEGO We Do Robotics and LEGO Mindstorm Robotics presentations. Be sure to visit C&A Robot Factory (344 N. Milwaukee Ave.) after the demonstrations to see all that they offer.
If your family is passionate about animals, don’t miss Animal Education & Rescue’s Pet Meet and Greet at Petranek’s Pharmacy (426 N. Milwaukee Ave.) from 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Enjoy the company of dogs, cats, rabbits and other animals during this event, and learn all about the important work this organization provides for our community.
Image Source: Animal Education & Rescue website
Finally, for the arts and crafts enthusiasts in your family, don’t miss the opportunity to create a marbleized paper bookmark at Petranek’s Pharmacy (426 N. Milwaukee Ave.) with Artist@Heart from 3:15 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Take some time afterwards to visit Artist@Heart (344 N. Milwaukee Ave.) to learn more about their full calendar of classes and events, and gift items. Participants will also receive a coupon good for 20 percent off of any Open Studio through December 31, 2016.
Fitness enthusiasts–rejoice, rise and shine–and attend CrossFit Freedom’s Circuit Training Demonstration from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. at Dancenter North (540 N. Milwaukee Ave.). If you’ve ever wondered what the CrossFit craze is, and how to find it locally, this is an excellent opportunity to learn more about CrossFit Freedom’s Health and Fitness Campus in Libertyville (748 E. Park Ave.).
Image Source: CrossFit Freedom website
Have you heard of Heather’s Gym? Visit Dancenter North (540 N. Milwaukee Ave.) from 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. and learn all about the barre, tabata, and kettlebell training at one of Libertyville’s newest fitness studios, Heather’s Gym (504 First St.). Be sure to check it out and visit the studio.
Finally, don’t miss the Black Cat Yoga Power Flow Class demonstration from 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. at Dancenter North (540 N. Milwaukee Ave.). Visit Black Cat Yoga (117 E. Cook Ave.) afterwards to learn more about class offerings.
Make the most of Small Business Saturday at the MainStreet Libertyville Shopping Passport Festival on Saturday, November 26, 2016 and celebrate our hard-working, independent merchants. Plan to spend a few hours or even the whole day. With so many great shops, services, and restaurants, it will be hard to decide what to do first. But I’m sure you’ll be glad to discover, or rediscover, the fun and important benefits of shopping local in beautiful, downtown Libertyville.
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Jennifer Johnson is a Libertyville resident who also writes for Little Lake County.