Shop Locally in East Lyme, Old Lyme, and Lyme on Small Business Saturday on Nov. 24

If you'd like your holiday shopping to be a kinder, gentler, and more festive experience than lining up in a parking lot for hours, rushing around a store at midnight, and wrestling other shoppers for the biggest "door busters" then today will be more your speed.

Small Business Saturday is on Nov. 24 this year, two days after Thanksgiving. It is a day for everyone to support the small businesses upon which their community thrives and in East Lyme, Old Lyme, and Lyme, there are plenty of them.

American Express created the day in 2010 to help small businesses get exposure during the holiday season, when they might be otherwise overlooked. With retailers buzzing around the holidays, it is important to support local small businesses that rely on their neighbors in order to continue prospering and building the local economy.

Last year, 100 million people nationwide participated in Small Business Saturday by shopping at locally owned stores to help boost the economy and their communities.

Great places to shop for unique gifts in Old Lyme include The Lyme Tree Woman's Exchange and The Bowerbird on Halls Road. In Lyme, it doesn't get any smaller than Jane's Dollhouses and Miniatures tucked away inside Reynold's General Store on Route 158 in Lyme. 

Downtown Niantic, meanwhile, is bursting with unique small businesses selling everything from wicker furniture to clocks, Bob Marley tee-shirts to dog treats. This Saturday is the ideal time to check them out, however, as Downtown Niantic hosts its annual Holiday Stroll from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Check out the photo slideshow to see just a few of the sales at local stores this Saturday in Niantic and visit our directory to find the many small businesses in East Lyme, Old Lyme, and Lyme.  

You can also “like” Small Business Saturday on Facebook by visiting www.facebook.com/shopsmall.

Whether you need CDs or videos, clothing or accessories, or something for the home or garden, East Lyme, Old Lyme, and Lyme truly have something for everyone on your list.

Everyone has locally owned businesses in their community, and shopping on Small Business Saturday is the perfect way to give back to the businesses you know and love in your community.

TELL US: What small businesses do you patronize in East Lyme, Old Lyme, and Lyme and what makes them great? Share in the comments below.