- Tallahassee's annual Winter Festival is back after last year's event was canceled due to weather.
- Area small businesses are excited for extra business that the event will bring.
- Watch the video to hear how support during the holidays helps area entrepreneurs:
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
You may have noticed a street closure and some holidays lights going up in Downtown Tallahassee.
It's all in preparation for the city's biggest holiday event.
With Winter Fest Saturday, area business owners said they expect the festival to bring more neighbors through their doors.
It was a busy scene on the corner of Park Avenue and Duval Street Tuesday.
City crews worked hard to set up an extensive light display for the annual Winter Festival.
It'll be a space for neighbors to shop, eat, enjoy performances and come together.
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"That's what the holidays are all about."
Neighbors like Ashley Chaney were also getting ready for the festival.
She owns Hayward House on Adams Street.
"The stage is going to be right out front, so our restaurant and our patio will be bustling all day, all night Saturday," Chaney said.
Friday marks her one year anniversary of the restaurant's opening.
She said events like this one help businesses like hers.
"Every small business really relies on these seasons where we can maximize where we can bring as many people through the doors as possible so this festival is doing just that," Chaney said.
Owner of Oh, Lemonade Dwyane Ash agreed.
He said there have been some challenges businesses like his have had to navigate over the past years.
"Although it's been challenging with the recent storms and COVID challenges, but we've found a nice balance of how to make it work," Ash said.
Park of making it work: participating in events like Winter Fest.
"When the Winter Festival comes around, we see an influx of outsiders from surrounding communities around the Big Bend area, so we look forward to getting our name out there," Ash said.
Director of the Tallahassee Leon County Office of Economic Vitality Keith Bowers said these events do bring tourists and locals alike together to increase spending within the local economy.
Chaney said she is thankful for events like this one that keep her business thriving.
"It's hard for me to talk about the first year without getting emotional because it's just been the whole city has been so supportive of us and we're really grateful," Chaney said.
