How to shop local on Small Business Saturday

The 16th annual edition of Small Business Saturday falls on November 29 — the perfect time to help you add a local sparkle into your holiday shopping.

November 24, 2025 • 
Staff
A photo of shops along King Street in Old Town Alexandria.

There are plenty of local shops to check out in Old Town Alexandria. | Photo via NOVAtoday

Here at NOVAtoday, we like to keep things local all year long, but on Small Business Saturday, the rest of the country joins us in our mission to shop small.

Founded by American Express in 2010 and cosponsored by the U.S. Small Business Administration since 2011, Small Business Saturday is an initiative to bring small businesses to the forefront of the holiday shopping season on the last Saturday of November.

This year’s event falls on Saturday, Nov. 29, and we want to make shopping local as easy as possible. This map will allow you to find small businesses in your area.

Maps of local businesses around Northern Virginia.

It doesn’t matter which area of town you live in — there are small businesses all around NOVA. | Screenshots via American Express

Here are a few that caught our eye:

Psst — do you own a local company? Read our small business coverage or check out these resources to help you participate in Small Business Saturday.

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