Shop at small, local businesses on Small Business Saturday

Small Business Saturday is a day dedicated to supporting small businesses across the country.

Founded by American Express in 2010, this day is celebrated every year on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

This year, Small Business Saturday is on November 30, 2013.

Our area is full of small businesses, clustered in multiple "downtowns". This would be a great day to explore some of those areas. Park your car, get out and walk around.

Most of the businesses in Lake Forest Park Town Center are small and many are unique.

Have you ever stopped at these areas or have you just driven by?:

• Ballinger Village and the Ballinger business district
• North City, where each building houses 4-5 storefronts.
• 4-Corners on Richmond Beach Road, where four neighborhoods meet (think QFC)
• Ridgecrest (think Crest Theater) has a few businesses - or you can just go to a movie
• Southern Gateway from 145th north on Bothell Way has more restaurants than anywhere else in the area
• The entire length of Aurora

Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park is a small business with a large inventory. They are putting on a special event for Small Business Saturday, bringing in five local authors who will each spend an hour interacting with the customers, discussing books, and selling their current book.