NILES — A popular holiday event will be returning to downtown Niles next Saturday.

Niles Main Street is gearing up to host the annual Small Business Saturday event from 10 a.m. to dusk Saturday, Nov. 30 in downtown Niles.

Hosted annually the Saturday after Thanksgiving, SBS is a day where small businesses nationwide are celebrated and promoted by their communities.

Local businesses will be working to make their business a destination on that day by offering specials, entertainment and refreshments.

The event will kick off with a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the grand reopening of the Niles Outdoor Dining Experience, which has been under construction since August. Features will include a fireplace, overhead lighting and a stage area for performances. 

SBS highlights include horse-drawn carriage rides, live music until 7 p.m., entertainment, Santa’s grand arrival and the lighting of downtown’s holiday decorations. Downtown shops will be open and offering holiday discounts, drawings, and festive treats, allowing customers to find the perfect gifts for loved ones while supporting local businesses. “Passports” will be available for customers frequenting downtown businesses. Customers can receive stamps on their business passports for completing certain tasks for the chance to be entered into a drawing to win prizes. 

The Niles Fire and Police Departments as well as the Howard Township Fire Department will be downtown collecting funds for the Salvation Army as well as providing fire safety information to children. Tents with local musicians will be set up downtown and the Chapin Mansion will be hosting its Holiday Open House. The event will end at dusk when Santa arrives to light the decorations and take photos.

Event organizer Justin Flagel hopes the community comes out to shop for gifts and support local businesses.

“Small Business Saturday is a great way to get people downtown and support local businesses,” Flagel said. “It gives them the chance to show off what they’re doing and gives them an opportunity to do something special. Small businesses can only exist with the support of their community and this is a great way to do it.”