Garrettsville – October 6 will be a big day in and around Garrettsville, with a morning-to-evening circuit of exploring and shopping local participating businesses in the first-ever Passport 44231 Shop Hop.
The concept is to begin and finish on Main Street, hopping from shop to shop in the 43231 zip code area. Shoppers will follow a provided passport and map from 10 am to 6pm. Organizer Angie Smithburger of Always In Bloom Home & Garden explains, “Get your passport stamped at each participating shop to win a free basket of treasures and gift certificates from each shop and vendor.”
Smithburger is organizing this event for the community, businesses, and local artisans through The Garrettsville Women in Business organization to promote shopping locally. It’s also a great opportunity to get a head start on holiday shopping, to find unique and hand-crafted gift items, and to win prizes.
“The more you spend, the more shops you hop, and the better your chances are at winning,” Smithburger says. “Garrettsville has some amazing shops filled with a variety of gifts, art, flowers, home decor and so much more. Not to mention the restaurants for everyone’s taste. Start with a cup of coffee and breakfast on Main, make a full circle out of town and end up back on Main for dinner and more!”
The passports with maps will be available starting at Miller’s Family Restaurant. In addition, each location along the route will have some on hand. Each brick-and-mortar business, restaurant and vendor will stamp customers’ passports. After each stop is stamped, completed passports are entered to win a gift basket of goodies from each participating business. There will be additional entries to win for every $100 spent.
“Why go out of town for holiday purchases when we have so many amazing local places?” Smithburger exclaims. “In the past, the Garrettsville Women in Business has set up something similar, sometimes going as far out as Aurora and Southington. However, we are so blessed here in our community, with great shops that have lots of diversity, talent and great businesses.”
The route will take customers to seven individual shops, artisans at downtown stops, and vendors at the Garrettsville Farmer’s Market & Fall Harvest Festival on the Buckeye Block along Main Street. While exploring 43231, shoppers will visit favorite downtown spots as well as some local places that are a bit off the beaten path, as in Nelson.
Establishments hosting local artisans include The Bay Window hosting Tranquil Treasures by Cindy, Always In Bloom Home & Garden, Monica Potter Home, J. Leonard Gallery & Vintage Emporium, Villager Emporium, and Village Bookstore.
Cellar Door Coffee Company will be hosting Top Tier Pastry, Hoop There It Is, Clover Creek Art, Midwestern Roots, and For Your Bliss Gifts. Restaurants along the route include Miller’s Family Restaurant, Sean’s Pub, and Two Travelers.
Start the Shop Hop on Main Street with breakfast and coffee, and end on Main with the farmers’ market harvest festival and dinner. Go full circle at the first-ever Passport 44231 Shop Hop on October 6 and get a head start on your holiday shopping.
