The holiday season is upon us. Thanksgiving will soon be here and hopefully we will be spending the day with family and friends as we did prior to 2020. While planning for family activities of our own, I’m busy putting the finishing touches on Holidays in Millville’s Glasstown Arts District.

Holiday discounts and free drawing for $500 in Downtown Dollars begins on Small Business Saturday, November 26. Fifteen businesses are participating until December 31. Most are offering 10 percent off purchases but a few vary. You can find a complete list on our website and social media @MillvilleGlasstownArtsDistrict. Each time you shop in any of these galleries, shops, and eateries, you can enter a drawing for $500 Downtown Dollars. A prize winner will be drawn on Third Friday, December 16 (you need not be present to win).

This is the 11th year of a terrific national promotion, Small Business Saturday. It’s always on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. This year we will again be selling our Double Value Gift Cards. Doors open at 9 a.m. at the Riverfront Renaissance Center for the Arts, 22 N. High Street. Here’s how it works:

There are 17 participating businesses (full list on web and social media). Let’s say you want to spend $50 for El Guacamole; we write a gift card with a value of $100! That’s right, you save 50 percent. The businesses get 100 percent and everyone is a winner!

This year we have a limit on the amount a household can buy—$500, which equals $1,000. You may buy for one business or many more smaller amounts. Bring your list of places you want to spend on or give as gifts. We accept cash or check only

We’d like to thank our partner organization, Holly City Development Corporation, for providing the match grant money that makes this project possible through its Neighborhood Preservation Program.

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Are you thinking about scheduling holiday programs for you and your family? There is an amazing amount of fun you can plan for date nights and family outings. The best place to have a look at what is scheduled is on the Explore Cumberland NJ website and look at the Calendar.

Both the Levoy and Landis theaters have a a number of traditional shows and films along with new productions that will become traditions. The Levoy will be presenting 11 shows/movies and some of them will be shown multiple times. Examples are Holiday Inn, Nutcracker Ballet, Muppet Christmas Carol, and The Wizards of Winter. You can read all about each production by visiting levoy.net/ and buy your tickets there, too.

The Landis Theater in Vineland has four Christmas shows like A Beatles Christmas, Christmas with Elvis, and Pat Benatar’s Christmas. Visit thelandistheater.com/.

Staying here in Cumberland County offers much for you to enjoy throughout the holiday season. When you support these theaters, galleries, restaurants, and shops, the impact of your dollars means so much more than if you buy online or at the big box stores.

Over the next few weeks, I’ll be posting more ideas on how to have fun right here in our area.