Encouraging Holiday Shoppers To Buy Local

Shoppers at last year’s Shop-A-Thon.

By Sophia Ricco
sricco@longislandergroup.com

Take to the Main Street on Saturday, Dec. 15 from noon - 4 p.m. to shop superb sales and grab a bite to eat at over 25 participating businesses during the Cold Spring Harbor Holiday Shop-A-Thon.

Businesses the Main Street and pop-up shops, featuring locaLI bred and Revival, will offer discounts up to 30 percent off. This is Cold Spring’s second annual Shop-A-Thon hosted by Lucky To Live Here Realty.

“We incentivise people to shop local and buy their holiday gifts on Main Street, as opposed to shopping online,” Ashley Allegra, Director of Marketing said. “It’s kind of our way of giving back by coordinating this event.”

The Shop-A-Thon map helps shoppers plan their browsing and buying.

To spread holiday cheer, Lucky To Live Here Realty will be visited by The Grinch at their office, 129 Main Street from 1-3 p.m. and congressman Thomas Suozzi will judge holiday window displays at noon. Enjoy the beautiful sound of St John's Choral Group as they carol through the streets.

Host the perfect holiday party after coming to a complimentary Hosting the Holidays Workshop at their office from 10:30-11:30 a.m. Get tips for tablescapes and entertaining from Noli Design, while sipping and sampling brunch bites. Email team@luckytolivehere.com to RSVP.

Not only does the Shop-A-Thon encourage residents to buy local, but also draws in customers from all over the Island. This gives them a taste of what Cold Spring is all about.

“Cold Spring Harbor has a completely different feeling and charm about it,” Allegra said. “You’re right near the water, you have this small community… It’s different than most places on Long Island, it’s a great town to experience.”

The Shop-A-Thon is sure to become a holiday tradition that will go on for years to come. You can’t go wrong shopping up and down Main Street, meeting store owners and being able to see and touch something before you buy it.

“If you don’t support the businesses here, they could go away,” Allegra said.  “It’s not gonna look like how it does on Main Street, it’s not gonna have the same feeling of small mom-and-pop shops, if we don’t help them grow, especially nowadays with online shopping.”

Kick off the Shop-A-Thon by visiting Lucky To Live Here Realty’s office to pick up a reusable tote and town map full of sales. Earn raffle tickets every time you spend $25 at select shops and drop them off by 3:45 p.m. Three winners will be drawn for gift baskets valued over $800.