Indianapolis, Indiana – The race to finish your holiday shopping is on, and small business owners in the area are hoping customers will spend time and money this weekend while taking in a number of local activities.
Every charcuterie board sold by Troy Reed, the proprietor of Pigs Tale Charcuterie in Indianapolis, who started his little company immediately before the COVID-19 pandemic, is a blessing for his startup.
“I’m very thankful we’re still here,” Reed said. “I’m glad that we got through COVID. Our first sales were in the middle of 2019, so we were only in business for six months before COVID hit. It took everything in us to make it through that year.”
Around Thanksgiving, according to Reed, business starts to really take off for him, his wife, and their tiny workforce. Customers can catch him on Saturdays in December at the winter markets in Broad Ripple and Carmel, as well as at the Winter Market in Broad Ripple.
“We make all the meats that we sell,” Reeds said. “They go onto our charcuterie boards that we take to the market.”
The Meet Me On Main event is taking place in the arts and design district of Carmel, which is located north of Indianapolis. It starts at 5 o’clock and goes on until 9 o’clock.
During Saturday’s art walk, local artists hope that visitors will take advantage of the opportunity to purchase something unique.
“Everyone’s looking for original gifts you’d love to give somebody something that is meaningful, that kind of a one-of-a-kind thing,” Lisa Macha with The Art Studio of Carmel said.
Business is booming for neighborhood shops at this time of year, according to Shari Demlow, owner of Bash Boutique in Carmel and Noblesville, but the establishments retain their distinctive character.
“We love the personal attention that we’re able to give to people, especially around the holidays,” Demlow said.
The holiday activities like Winterfest and Family Day on Saturday, according to store owners on Main Street in Zionsville, frequently convert tourists into customers.
“I think it helps people to come into the stores and they might find something along the way,” Erica Carpenter, owner of Five Thirty Home, said. “Also, now is an opportunity to go out for breakfast with your friends or family, make a day of it.”
