Green Gift Bazaar Discontinued; Organizers Urge Community to Shop Local This Holiday Season

ALTON - After 22 years of hosting and over a decade of co-hosting with Alton Main Street, the Green Gift Bazaar has served its purpose and will not be held this year. The event began in 2002, when Small Business Saturdays weren’t yet a widespread movement and Black Friday was the primary focus of the holiday shopping season.

The Sierra Club and Alton Main Street would like to thank all of the artists, makers, hosts, volunteers, and participants for many years of dedicated participation in the Green Gift Bazaar. We truly appreciate the time, effort, and passion local artists and makers invest in their craft. Sustainable, local art has the power to make the world a better place. The organizers appreciate the support from hosts over the years, including St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Jacoby Arts Center, Southwestern Illinois YWCA, the Riverbender.com Building, and Post Commons.

The Sierra Club and Alton Main Street look forward to exploring new ways to celebrate and promote our vibrant community.

“Alton Main Street will highlight Small Business Saturday by creating an informational program featuring refreshments, giveaways, discounts, free gifts with purchase, gift card specials,

in-store activities, etc. from dozens of downtown retailers and restaurants,” said Sara McGibany, Executive Director. “Plan a day of shopping with your friends to celebrate the occasion; you can pick up a copy of the program the week leading up to Small Business Saturday at any participating location.”

Below are many ways to support local artists, makers, and farmers. Please consider supporting these businesses on Small Business Saturday and all throughout the year.

For a directory of shops, restaurants, services and more please visit: downtownalton.com/business-directory/

About the Sierra Club

The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3.8 million members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information about Sierra Club’s work in Illinois, visit www.sierraclub.org/illinois.

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