Small businesses come together to draw customers

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  • Black & White Market owner Keisha Dockery accepts payment from David Mackie on Small Business Saturday. Photo by Samantha Sinclair
    Black & White Market owner Keisha Dockery accepts payment from David Mackie on Small Business Saturday. Photo by Samantha Sinclair
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    Murphy - Downtown businesses stayed busy throughout the weekend, with some crediting the support of their fellow businesses.
    To help draw customers to the Curiosity Shop Bookstore and Trudy’s Creations on Black Friday and Small Business Saturday, bookstore owners Kerry Archer and Anne Silver planned to purchase coffee from The BakeShop to provide to their customers.
    Not only did the owners of the BakeShop help |
out, but other members of the community offered to make or bring snacks to go along with the coffee. Trudy’s also supplied some cider.
    “We had people come
out of the woodwork,”
Archer said. “You don’t know who supports you, thinks kindly of you, until something like this comes up.”
    Marti Long was one of those people. She helped by manning the coffee and snack table so the businesses could focus on their customers in the store.
    “They are good friends,” Long said. “We figured we’d help out.”
    On Friday, business for the local bookstore was well above last year’s sales, Archer said. He thought social media posts and word-of-mouth promoting coffee and snacks helped.
    “It’s been a fabulous day,” he said.
    Shopping remained steady throughout Small Business Saturday the next day, making for a great weekend of sales for downtown businesses.
    “Last year was very, very good, but this year was quite a bit better,” said Keisha Dockery, owner of Black & White Market.
    Marketplace Antiques also had a great weekend, owner Deni Graves said. She thought the increase in “great stores” downtown helped.
    “The more retail stores, the better,” Graves said. “All the extra retail stores and most everybody being open (helped.)”
    Meanwhile, 14 businesses came together for the Murphy Business Association’s Selfie Scavenger Hunt game, in which shoppers had to find Frosty the Snowman in at least eight downtown shops.
    “It’s awesome,” said Nicole Hibbs, who organized the game for the business association. “It’s a collaboration in little Murphy, N.C. It’s a family.”

Cruise Night hosts
Christmas party
    Andrews – The annual Cruise Night for the Kids Community Christmas Party will be held from
5-7 p.m. Saturday in the
Andrews Community Center.
    The free event is open to everyone, and gives children an opportunity to visit Santa and Mrs. Claus. Each child will receive a goody bag, hat and gloves, and a present from the gift table. Organizer Susie Bryant said there will be bigger toys this year because of the donations they received.
    Families also will be able to enjoy a free hot dog meal at the event. There will be enough supplies to feed 400 people.
    The organization, formerly known as Police Pals, raises funds for the party through its two annual Cruise Night for the Kids car shows, plus receives donations from the community.

Last Art Walk set Friday
    Murphy – The last
Art Walk of 2019 will be held from 5-8 p.m. Friday downtown. The event, presented on the first Friday of every month from May through December by the Valley River Arts Guild,
will give holiday shoppers an opportunity to purchase locally made crafts and
arts from a variety of talented artists.
    Santa Claus is expected to make an appearance at Marketplace Antiques on Peachtree Street.
    Art Walk is held on the first Friday of each month from May through December. For details, email event organizer Tim Ford at tlford2035@gmail.com
    Samantha Sinclair is the Scouting Around columnist for the Cherokee Scout. You can reach her by phone, 837-5122, Ext. 24; or email, scoutingaround@cherokeescout.com.