ELYRIA — Downtown Elyria is working to boost its economy after seeing a decline in foot traffic downtown.
Saturday, they hosted the first small business Saturday, encouraging people to rediscover downtown Elyria. Each participating store had passports and reusable shopping bags filled with spring-themed goodies. Passports contained a full list of available stops. Each passport had a tear-off page to enter a raffle for a chance to win prizes from local shops and restaurants.
Many mom-and-pop shops in downtown Elyria were eager to be a part of the event, hoping it would bring more awareness to the local shops.Doerr is the owner of Pearls Girls Knitch and Stitch, located in downtown Elyria; the store is filled with yarns and fibers. Doerr's business also offers classes, and in order to make ends meet, the business participates in over 20 shows and festivals a year.
Victoria Kempton is a spokesperson for Crystal Era; she said it is the largest and oldest metaphysical store in Ohio. During the pandemic they reached out to clients and would drive to their homes. Four years later, they are still offering similar services.