Shop Small Saturday Pop-Up Shop

By Lisa Strader

Exciting things are happening in Historic Downtown Beckley this holiday season. West Virginia University (WVU) recently made Beckley home to a satellite campus and the WVU Institute of Technology. The gold and blue flags were hung and the first students arrived. The town has since seen increased attendance at local events.

Local event organizers hope to see these crowds embrace a new event taking place on November 26. The Downtown Beckley Business Association (DBBA) is taking over and turning the town into a retail superstore for the first annual Shop Small Saturday Pop-Up Shop event.

Photo by Jason Lockart, Kid in the Background

The group has a big plan to not only bring the masses into the historic district to shop but to use this opportunity to showcase open retail spaces to area entrepreneurs.

“The DBBA is helping strengthen the economic base of our local community by supporting small, independent businesses and property owners by creating pop-up shops in vacant buildings downtown,” says Christine Kinder, West Virginia State extension agent for the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority. “Our hope is that we can help convert permanent tenants to these vacant buildings by creating pop-up shops that utilize the available space in our downtown. In addition to the pop-up vendors, we are helping promote the current retail shops downtown that will also be participating in Small Business Saturday. It’s important to shop small and buy local because you’re not only purchasing unique goods, you’re investing in your community.”

The #ShopBeckley event will feature more than 30 pop-up vendors along Neville and Main streets, including local artists Gary Vaughn, Brian Zickafoose and Andrew Mullins; craft vendors Black Gold Coal Crafts, Six Street Soap Company, The Perfect Blend and Next Chapter Crafts and independent consultants for LulaRoe, Jamberry, Thirty One, Perfectly Posh, Thrive and many more. There will be maps available that show where each vendor will be set up.

Tickety Boo Mercantile, a permanent retail shop in Historic Downtown Beckley, is looking forward to the first-ever shop #ShopBeckley event. “Last year, we did it all by ourselves, and it was a huge success,” says Owner Sasha Cantley. “We know with more gift buying options available, this year will be better.”

Tickety Boo is also opening its doors and space to other vendors. The shop will have a meet the artist area, door prizes, refreshments and sales throughout the store.

Beckley’s Shop Small Business Saturday Pop-Up Shop will feature entertainment, food and beverages at several locations.

Come out and support these local businesses on Small Business Saturday, and use the following social media hashtags to help spread the word: #shopsmall, #shoplocal and #ShopBeckley.

About the Author

Lisa Strader is the digital media manager for Visit Southern West Virginia, where she has worked for more than 10 years. She previously spent 20 years in West Virginia’s tourism industry promoting her home state and all it has to offer.