Small Business Saturday and Tree Lighting

Eric Crosswhite speaks with Barbara Bigelow about what local businesses are doing and other downtown events during this busy season.

Eric crosswhite: welcome back.

We are joined now by barbara bigelow who always has the latest information on what's going on in downtown columbus.

Good morning, barbara.

Thanks for talking with us.

Barbara bigelow: good morning.

Thank you so much, i appreciate you having me this morning.

Eric crosswhite: it's a busy time of year.

Christmas, right around the corner, means christmas shopping and of course that goes really, really nicely with small business saturday.

Barbara bigelow: it really does.

And small business saturday is this next saturday, november the 28th, and our downtown shops will be open all day for business of course.

We just want to encourage everyone to shop local, and to shop small business on that day.

Small businesses are extremely important to our community so we're just asking everyone to support our small business on that day.

Especially in downtown columbus, 10 to five.

That's right.

Eric crosswhite: that's right.

And it's an important reminder, this year especially, with covid and everything going on.

You want to let people know that these businesses are still open, you just have certain protocols to follow.

Barbara bigelow: that's correct.

They're open and they're open safely.

We ask people to wear masks and to social distance, of course, when they're shopping.

And we find that people are eager to do that.

That people are eager to get out these days and do some shopping and enjoy the outdoors.

Eric crosswhite: i believe in that.

Now, when does that take place?

I'm sorry, when does it last?

Barbara bigelow: that's next saturday, the 28th of november, and it will be from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm in downtown stores.

Eric crosswhite: you don't want to miss it.

Also, speaking of christmas, something big that always happens in columbus is the tree lighting.

Barbara bigelow: it is.

The christmas tree lighting will be this coming monday, which would be november the 30th.

It's always the monday after thanksgiving.

We'll light up the magnolia tree at the pedestrian bridge as we've done for several years.

This year, for the safety of everyone, we're going to be doing it a little different, we're going to do it virtual.

It will be a facebook live event.

And debbie sepia will also be there for the tree lighting, i understand.

We're excited about that.

Barbara bigelow: we'll have santa and mrs. claus.

We'll have the mayor to flip the switch.

We'll have the grinch down there.

We're going to have some elves to help us out, and we'll have some music by first baptist church.

We're excited to have some holiday music going on.

After the tree lights come on, we invite little kids in our community to chat with santa.

So we'll be on facebook live, so you go to the chat box, they can ask them any questions, maybe make requests, what they might like to have for christmas.

Santa will be responding for about a half hour after the tree lights come on.

Eric crosswhite: it sounds like a lot of fun.

And i know you're bummed, and a lot of people are bummed, that you can't have the traditional tree lighting ceremony like we want, but it sounds like you guys have done everything possible to make it just as festive and as fun as you have every other year.

Barbara bigelow: well, we're trying to.

We decided several weeks, ago in our office, we were not going to cancel one event.

And it's been difficult at times trying to rework them and see what we could do to include the community, and help everybody have a great holiday season in 2020.

So i appreciate your comments.

We're trying to get it out there.

Eric crosswhite: you bet you.

And i think this tree lighting, seeing the tree lit up, is going to help people get into that holiday spirit.

Barbara bigelow: i sure hope so because we put hundreds of lights on that tree and it's really, really, really neat when it comes on.

So we hope everybody will be watching this.

Eric crosswhite: it's going to look beautiful for sure.

When do they need it to tune in to watch that?

Barbara bigelow: that will be 6:00 pm on monday, november the 30th.

Eric crosswhite: a lot of going on downtown columbus this time of year as usual barbara, anything else you want add?

Barbara bigelow: i think that's all.

Just continue to support all of your local businesses and enjoy this holiday season.

Eric crosswhite: all right barbara, thanks so