Launched by American Express in 2010, Small Business Saturday is held the Saturday after Thanksgiving as a counterpart to the popular Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Where those shopping days mean big savings at popular retailers, Small Business Saturday is dedicated to supporting small businesses, encouraging holiday shoppers to patronize local stores and restaurants.

Small business association National Federation of Independent Businesses estimated shoppers who knew about Small Business Saturday spent $5.5 billion on the Nov. 24 shopping day.

This year, I spent Small Business Saturday in Reading, Pa. Our first stop was Just Curious, a consignment boutique. The backyard features a curiosity garden. Unfortunately, it was much too cold to explore for very long, though my mom and I purchased a few treasures in the store. We then walked a couple stores down the block to Hello Bluebird. Voted “Best In Berks” in 2010, the shelves of this brick-and-mortar boutique and gallery are bursting with eclectic and eco-friendly items made by local and independent artists. We had lunch at Say Cheese. The restaurant boasted a Small Business Saturday menu, though I opted for the tomato gratin soup and roast turkey sandwich combination from the regular menu. We ended our small-business support with a trip to Ady Cakes for cupcakes. The cupcakery recently won Food Network’s Cupcake Wars. Their pink Champagne cupcake is divine. I’m already looking forward to exploring and supporting new stores on next year’s Small Business Saturday.

Did you shop small this year? What finds did you buy on Small Business Saturday?

— Katie Skrzek, digital media manager