By Karla Amador

With the passing of Thanksgiving, holiday shopping is now in full swing. On Nov. 29, the first Saturday of the holiday shopping season, a bevy of local businesses and shoppers took part in North Park’s festivities, which encouraged local residents to shop small to cultivate a stronger community, rather than visit traditional retailers on Black Friday.

Brian Beevers, owner of Simply Local, a co-op space filled with the work of local artists and merchants, launched its grand opening on Small Business Saturday, and among its many shoppers were Mayor Kevin Faulconer and City Council President Todd Gloria.

When asked what makes Small Business Saturday so different from Black Friday, Faulconer said it gives San Diegans an opportunity to help business owners thrive and give back to the economy.

“Small businesses are the back bone for the local economy,” Faulconer said.

Local artist Haydee Yanez, a merchant at Simply Local, said she was very honored to see some of her paintings being sold there.

“It’s been a long time coming, and today is a tremendous breakthrough for me,” Yanez said.

Her work consists of paintings by Mexican icons, such as Frida Kahlo and luchador actor El Santo, with colors inspired by Mexican cinema from the 1940s and ’50s. She also describes her work as using a minimalist style with a pop twist. One of her most popular items is her Frida Kahlo graphic icon painting.

Beevers said it’s important to build a network of local artisans and crafters to help sustain the economy, and one of the ways to do so is to encourage residents to shop small.

“By supporting our local merchants, we are helping them to grow their businesses and give back to the community,” he said.

When asked why shoppers should be motivated to shop small, Gloria — who represents North Park on the City Council — said these are the folks who run their own businesses, and that kind of social and civic engagement goes a long way for our communities, and for the economy.

“Business owners help employ San Diegans and keep our neighborhoods vital,” he said.

Also participating in Small Business Saturday was Ms. Vintage, a boutique clothing store focusing on the styles of the 1950s through the ’80s. The many shoppers browsing through racks of vintage trends had owner Michele Gonzalez smiling.

“I love that the store is able to bring life back out to the customers when they can find something they like,” she said.

As shopper Kari Ellis browsed through accessories, she said she’s not quite sure what she’s looking for, but that there’s always something unique here that you wouldn’t be able to find at a traditional retail store.

“I like the fact that I am able to help independent stores like Ms. Vintage contribute back to the community and to the economy,” Ellis said. “Plus, there’s always something unique and rare to find here.”

Just down the street, Bottlecraft, a craft beer shop and tasting room, also rode the wave of small-business shoppers on Thanksgiving weekend. Owner Brian Jensen was inspired to open a boutique beer shop after the influx of microbreweries and craft beer bars in North Park. Jensen also recently partnered with Venissimo Cheese, which opened within Bottlecraft earlier this year.

“Venissimo Cheese shop is a collaborative project, which we partnered with, was added to our store about six months ago,” Jensen said.

Cheese monger Emily Norton works behind the Venissimo cheese stand, and allowed shoppers to sample cheeses throughout the day as they browsed the ale-filled aisles.

“The cheese samplings are another great way to help educate our customers in choosing the right cheese paired with the right craft beers in our store for the holiday season,” Norton said.

Local shopper Dean Bostrom said he enjoys visiting Bottlecraft because of the diverse selection. He said it’s always easy to find a new beer to try when shopping for himself and his friends.

“I’m happy to assist our beer aficionados in any way possible,” Jensen said.

For more information about North Park businesses, visit Northparkmainstreet.com.

—Contact Karla Amador at [email protected].