The holiday season has arrived, and small business owners look to help checkboxes off those Christmas lists.

On Main Street in Saint Charles, the Christmas Traditions event kicked off after Thanksgiving. The event welcomes the community, encouraging shoppers to shop locally.

Events such as these have helped business owners like April Moxley from Designs by Ave get her product out into the hands of the community.

The Saint Charles community shows out annually to gift themselves or their family members while also helping local shops on Main Street.

“It means everything. I couldn’t do it without them,” Moxley said. “To be honest, the community’s word of mouth is excellent, [the community’s] very supportive—they always have been, but ever since COVID hit, it’s even more-so.”

The support of the community on Small Business Saturday and throughout the year has helped to keep the lights on for some of these places.

Gabby MacNeal from Jake’s on Main says the customers who choose to come-in and support them have truly had an impact on the shop’s livelihood and it makes note that it does not go unnoticed.

This year, small businesses are relying on holiday shoppers to help aid the debt some shops fell into during COVID shutdowns.

After Small Business Saturday, the festival will continue every Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday up until Dec. 22.