You could call it a Forest Hills Connection holiday tradition. In December 2012, Marlene Berlin combined her love of walking and her enthusiasm for supporting small businesses into our original walking and shopping guide to Van Ness, Forest Hills, Chevy Chase, Tenleytown and Cleveland Park. That morphed into the “Shop-Local Workout,” our annual Thanksgiving week guide to shopping local on Small Business Saturday and every day.
Since the 2019 update, Periwinkle and Catch-Can have closed. Covid-19 has changed hours and operations at other stores and at restaurants. So, this year’s “shop-local workout” might be scheduled around picking up an online or phone order, for example.
Where to start?
Van Ness Main Street has a bunch of “Shop Local” gift-giving ideas.
Tenleytown Main Street’s holiday shop local guide lists ideas in categories including “For the DIY-er” and “For those in need of self-care.” (And Tenley WinterFest’s annual marketplace, featuring local makers, is virtual this year.)
The Cleveland Park Main Street guide has ideas for gift-giving as well as for pampering the givers.
And Chevy Chase businesses are listed on outgoing ANC 3/4G Commissioner Jerry Malitz’s website.
One thing that hasn’t changed is that our small and local businesses stand ready to help us find the perfect gift. And our patronage is important to them, now more than ever.
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