Nov. 29 is Small Business Saturday, and many businesses are teaming up to offer neighborhood-wide events, from reindeer visits to special deals and giveaways.
Here’s what Indianapolis’ east, south and west neighborhoods have in store.
Use these buttons to jump down the list to events in a specific area.
East side 🔝
Dime District Drive
🗓️ Noon-6 p.m. Nov. 29
📍 HQ: Alley Cat Ceramics, 2209 E. Michigan St.
🎟️ Free
Attend the first Dime District Drive event and stock up on everything from artisan mugs to cool new specs at more than 16 shops. There’s a free shuttle service between 10th and Michigan streets, and you can bring canned and non-perishable donations for local food pantries.
Pick up a card to collect stamps from participating businesses — five stamps will get you a chance to win a custom tote bag. When shopping hours are over, swing by the after party at Holy Ground Productions, 3317 E. 10th St.
Participating businesses include 1000 Words Gallery, Alley Cat Ceramics, Audrey’s Place, Cat Head Press, Chicken Limo, Daisy Bar, Dear Mom, Dream House Indy, Groovy Greenhouse Studio, Guide & Anchor, Harold & Sissy’s, Holy Ground Productions, Patina Gallery, Rabble Coffee, Ra Opticians, Salt & Ash Market and Wing & Wheel Tattoo.
Irvington Shop Small Crawl
🗓️ 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Nov. 29
📍 HQ: Market Vintage, 9 Johnson Ave.
🎟️ Free
Win the holidays this year by shopping for thoughtful vintage and handmade gifts — and enjoy Irvington’s charming atmosphere every step of the way. Pick up a Crawl Card and collect stamps from participating businesses for a chance to win prizes.
Participating businesses include Market Vintage, Smash’d Burger Bar, Hampton & Co, George Thomas Florist, BaZaar Oh! Vintage, Black Sheep Gifts, LiftOff Creamery, TrapDoor Tattoos, Chicago Beef and Dog Company, Irvington Vinyl & Books, SNUG, Wild Child Coffee Co. and Hazeables.
Near East Merchants Association Swag Bag Giveaway
🗓️ 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Nov. 29
📍HQ: Stomping Ground, 1625 Nowland Ave.
🎟️ Free
On top of scoring one-of-a-kind treasures, the first 10 customers to spend at least $20 at participating shops get a custom “swag bag” filled with goodies from shops in the neighborhood, including Stomping Ground, 8th Day Distillery, Arabella Home, Audrey’s Place, Gravesco, Groovy Greenhouse Studio, Kan-Kan Cinema, Midland Arts & Antiques, Salt & Ash Market and Smoking Goose’s Public Smokehouse.
What to expect at these eastside shops
- 1000 Words Gallery: Small assortment of free art supplies and a curator’s preview of the gallery’s December First Friday exhibition.
- 1979 Co: Pop-up at Dream House Indy in the Factory Arts building, offering leather bags, wallets and belts.
- 8th Day Distillery: Small Business Saturday Market with seasonal cocktails and mocktails, delicious bites from Wisanggeni Pawon and shopping from local makers and retailers. Vendors include: Wolves Den, Pushin’ Posies, Snail Paced Sundries, Above And Below Oddities, Grave Bits, Teauné Trice Photography, Small Batch No. 3, Midwestern Silver, Wildly Peachy, Photography By Allan Lasser and Sweet Treats By Rabiya.
- Alley Cat Ceramics: Mug market featuring members of Alley Cat and other local ceramic artists. Next door at Patina Gallery: an ornament show featuring more than 50 artists. 20 percent of sales will be donated to support future shows and events at the gallery.
- Arabella Home: 10% off, plus enjoy coffee and Long’s donuts throughout the day.
- Audrey’s Place Furniture: 10% off all antique store purchases.
- Black Sheep Gifts: Free gift with purchase while supplies last, as well as food samples.
- Dream House Indy: A leather goods pop-up by 1979 Co., plus a small section of $5 gifts, a sustainable gift wrapping station and free drinks.
- Gravesco: Buy-three, get-one-free wine cups and cloth napkins, plus $25 artist choice mugs (normally $42).
- Guide & Anchor: Major celebration sale with DJs all day and exclusive Dime District and “only 2 items made” merch.
- Groovy Greenhouse Studio: Glass artists’ pop-up.
- Hampton & Co: Free gift for the first 50 guests, free mimosa and juice bar, plus 15% off for shoppers who bring in five canned or non-perishable food items to donate. Shoppers who spend $50 receive a gift.
- Harold and Sissy’s: Free stickers and flip combs while supplies last.
- Hazeables: Buy one, get one half-off for select bakery items.
- Irvington Vinyl & Books: BOGO discount records and 20% off all collectible items over $50.
- Josephine’s: $20 gift card for every $100 purchase.
- Kan-Kan Cinema: Swag bags for the first 10 customers.
- Kismetic Beer Company: Discounts on merchandise and glassware.
- Ra Opticians: 10% off storewide
- Rollin’ Dealz: Up to 50% off in store, all clothes $1; plus, buy a bedroom set and get a free mattress.
- Market Vintage: Free “Shop Small” tote bag for the first 25 customers, plus a free “Crawl Refresher” beverage. Show your Irvington Shop Small Crawl card with at least five stamps to spin the “Vintage Discount Wheel” for savings up to 20% off. Check in on Instagram at three crawl locations for a chance to win a prize.
- Salt & Ash Market: Free limited edition totes for the first 20 customers, and up to 50% off select products in store.
- Stomping Ground: The first 10 customers who spend $20 get a custom swag bag with goodies from Near East Merchant Association shops. The next 50 customers who spend $20 get a Stomping Ground gift. Customers can also stop by the hot cocoa stand and bake sale run by the owner’s 10-year-old daughter.
South side 🔝
Fountain Fletcher Small Business Saturday
🗓️ 8 a.m.-8 p.m. (hours vary from shop to shop)
📍 HQ: Fountain Square Center, 1105 Prospect St.
🎟️ Free
Fountain Fletcher is bringing back its Small Business Saturday event, complete with merchant passports and some special guests: two reindeer from Indiana’s oldest reindeer herd at Whitetail Acres Nursery & Reindeer Farm.
Pick up a merchant passport and collect stamps by visiting participating shops in Fountain Square and Fletcher Place (no purchase necessary). When you collect 10 stamps, turn in your passport to enter a drawing for a prize pack with gift cards and items.
Shoppers can also enjoy hot chocolate at the Fountain Fletcher District Association table in exchange for monetary donations for the food pantry at Southeast Community Services.
Participating businesses include Artesanal Pasteleria Panaderia, Arthur’s Music Store, Black House Café, BRIDGE Collective/City Natives Gallery, City Dogs Grocery, Flags for Good, Flipside Estates, Fountain Square Brew Co., Fountain Square Clay Center, Four Finger Distillery, Get Dirty Ceramics, Hero House Comics, Hi-Fi, Indy Reads, MELI Showroom, Murphy Artists, Nine Lives Cafe, PinVault, Snakeroot Botanicals, Square Cat Vinyl, Square Scoop, Tuggle’s Gifts & Goods, Upland Brewing Fountain Square, West Fork Social House and World Famous HotBoys.
Garfield Park Small Business Saturday
🗓️ 10 a.m.-7 p.m.
📍 HQ: Pen and Pink Vintage, 2610 Shelby St.
🎟️ Free
Visit Garfield Park’s Small Business Saturday event to eat, drink and be merry up and down Shelby Street. Pick up a punchcard at any of the participating businesses and visit six shops for a chance to win a $25 gift card to each shop. From vintage clothes and books to Indy’s oldest sub shop, there’s plenty to explore.
The participating businesses are Garfield Brewery, Greiner’s, Harlot Apothecary, Indy Type Shop, Parkside Public House, Pen and Pink Vintage Books, Serendipity Plants, Skosh and Super Real Much.
What to expect at these southside shops
- Calvin Fletcher’s Coffee Company: 25% off shirts and tumblers.
- City Dogs Grocery: The first 50 customers to spend at least $75 get a free goodie bag filled with samples, products, coupons and more.
- Flipside Estates: 25% off Flipside inventory, plus the first five people to spend $200 or more receive a choice of Flipside merch designed by Guide & Anchor. Pop-up with inventory from Wild Violet Textiles.
- Fountain Square Brew Co.: Enjoy $5 Fountain Square Brew Co. beers and shop a small business market featuring 22 local vendors, including SK Offerings, Aura & Artifact, Manduh’s Reiki Bakery, Nipps Glass, Art by Chels, Doss Body Spirit, Killer Bacon, Morgan Co Organics, The Immortal Phoenix Apothecary and Craft By Moonlight. From 2 to 4 p.m., there will be dog adoptions and a Christmas pet market benefitting Lucci’s House Bully Rescue.
- Fountain Square Clay Center: The Holiday Pottery Market showcases vases, bowls, mugs, candlesticks and decorative pieces from seasoned and new potters. The studio potters even have a friendly competition to make the best pottery Christmas trees, so you can pick out a tiny tree from the ceramic tree farm.
- Four Finger Distillery: Bottles are 20% off, plus the distillery is releasing its first bottled-in-bond bourbon.
- Harlot Apothecary: Get 10% off art supplies and kits, children’s items, movies and vintage clothing.
- Hero House Comics: Extended hours, 10 a.m.-8 p.m.
- Howl + Hide: Get 15% off all in-store purchases.
- Indy Reads: Bring your own tote, and fill it with select used books for $10. Plus, some new books are 20 to 40% off.
- Indy String Theory: 15% off guitar straps and pre-made Alphatone Audio cables, 10% off orders of custom cables and used effect pedals. Plus, new customers who bring in instruments for repair will score a free set of strings.
- Indy Type Shop, Pen and Pink Vintage: Shop tomes from more than five independent bookstores all in one space at this Stand on Business Saturday event. Garfield Park stores Indy Type Shop and Pen and Pink Vintage will sell books alongside nomadic booksellers Each Other’s Books, Sly Badges and Railroad City Mobile Book Fair.
- Lily’s Labyrinth: Buy one, get one 50% off vintage clothing.
- Artesanal Pasteleria Panaderia: From noon to 3 p.m., get 50% off all bakery goods, from sweet pastries to rustic breads to cakes.
- Serendipity Plants: 10% off all plants.
- Skosh: Free blanket with purchase for the first 15 customers.
- Snakeroot Botanicals: 20% off the entire store from 10 a.m. to noon, plus all in-store customers will be entered into a drawing for a chance to win a free Norfolk pine tree.
- Super Real Much: 20% off vintage and secondhand clothing. While you shop, enjoy mulled wine, hot toddies and mocktails made from Wood Stove Kitchen mixes.
- Square Cat Vinyl: 20% off the entire store from 10 a.m. to noon. The first 20 customers get a free record from the giveaway bin.
- Tuggle’s Gifts and Goods: Extended hours from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., plus 20 percent off storewide.
- Versed Skateboard Shop: 10% off everything, plus $5 raffle tickets for a product giveaway.
- West Fork Social House: $8 old fashioneds and discounts on bottles.
- Zodiac Vintage: $10 off knit sweaters.
West side 🔝
Homespun Holiday Craft Fair
🗓️ 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
📍 Speedway Methodist Church, 5065 W 16th St.
🎟️ Free
Shop handmade items and home decor from local artists at Speedway United Methodist Church’s Small Business Saturday event. Save your appetite for a cookie walk and “famous soup” lunch.
What to expect at these westside shops
- B. Erin Designs: Deals highlighting local vendors, a huge gift basket giveaway and free “shop small” bags while supplies last.
- Guggman Haus Brewing Co.: Get a $5 coffee mug with any drink purchase from The Coffee Haus. At the main taproom bar, the first 20 guests get a free tote bag with purchase. Vendor pop-ups at the main taproom include:
- 11 a.m.-2 p.m.: The Folk Method Soaps
- 1-3 p.m.: Little Pup Prints
- 3-7 p.m.: L&Y Crafted Woodworking
- 5-9 p.m.: Pottery with Dani
- Mansion Society: $1 off drinks all day, plus 15% off online gift cards.
- Prideland Comics & Collectibles: 50% off items $25 or less; 25% off items $25 and up.
- Santa’s Pitstop Shoppe: Free ornament with any purchase.
- Speedway Artists Collective: $24 fused glass ornament class, plus wassail drink and snacks.
- Ujamaa Community Bookstore: Buy one book and get one book half-off.
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Emily Schlorf is a Mirror Indy freelance contributor. You can reach her at schlorfemily@gmail.com.
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