We are approaching the busiest season of the year at home and in business! For the fourth year in a row, the Glasstown Arts District and Holly City Development Corporation have partnered to bring you the Double Value Gift Card sale. It will take place on national Small Business Saturday, November 25, at 9 a.m. until we are sold out (usually by 12 noon).

This year 23 businesses are participating in accepting these gift cards. They include galleries, restaurants, salons, and retail shops. You can find a full list on our website: www.GlasstownArtsDistrict.com and on our Facebook page: Millville Glasstown Arts District. There will be long lines for purchasing, so dress warmly and have patience. You may line up at the front and rear entrances of the building – Riverfront Renaissance Center for the Arts, 22 N. High Street, Millville.

Each family is allowed to purchase up to $500 worth of gift cards. Your purchase will be doubled so the maximum total is $1,000. You may spend the entire purchase on one business or all of the businesses – You Choose!

This program started during the first year of the COVID pandemic in order to boost sales for our independent small business owners. Holly City Development has been able to obtain a grant to match the sales, which enables us to “double the value” on each card purchased and the businesses get twice as much money. It is a win – win program!

Also starting on November 25 will be the annual Holiday Dazzle discount and free drawing for Downtown Dollars! It will run until Third Friday, December 15. There will be 15 businesses participating and they’ll be offering discounts and specials in their shops. At each location, you may enter a free drawing that puts you in for a chance to be drawn for one of the three prizes – 1st place is $500, 2nd is $250, and 3rd place is $100. These are all Downtown Dollars. They can be used at any one of the 15 participating businesses! You may spend them to finish your holiday shopping or in the new year.

This year, Holiday Dazzle is being organized by Millville Recreation Department with Samantha and Brooke at the helm. It is another wonderful incentive to help make your hard-earned money go further and to support our independent small business owners. Your support means a great deal to everyone in the Glasstown Arts District!

It’s hard for me to imagine that the next article I publish here in SNJ Today will be after Thanksgiving. All of us in business and the nonprofits who work tirelessly each year to assist businesses in their missions and reaching their goals, find this work rewarding. Personally, I am thankful for the friendships I have made over the years. I love seeing the successes of so many. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!