(WASHINGTON, DC) – Today, Mayor Bowser kicked off Small Business Saturday at the Minnesota Avenue Main Street in Ward 7, designating the area as a full member of the DC Main Streets program. Following the designation ceremony, the Mayor will continue on to Congress Heights, home to one of the other 15 DC Main Streets programs, to have lunch at MLK Deli. Throughout the day, the Mayor will visit Hill’s Kitchen, Lee’s Flower and Card Shop, Baked by Yael, and Bene Millinery and Bridal Supplies. The Mayor will end the day at CityCenterDC’s fourth annual holiday tree lighting.
 
“Washington, DC is proud to be a place where small and local businesses can open, grow, and thrive,”  said Mayor Bowser. “Today, and all year, we celebrate the small businesses that are the backbone of our economy. These businesses drive economic development and create pathways to the middle class by employing DC residents, and we are proud to support our local businesses.”
 
Throughout the week, the Mayor will continue to celebrate small and local businesses across the city. On Tuesday, the Mayor will highlight Giving Tuesday and join DowntownDC BID and the Catalogue for Philanthropy: Greater Washington at the kickoff of the BID’s Downtown Holiday Market. On Wednesday, the Mayor and the DC City Council will host a Made in DC Holiday Bazaar at the John A. Wilson Building. Residents are invited to attend and shop for a variety of products, including: food, clothing, jewelry, and home goods – all made in DC by DC makers.
 
Supporting small and local businesses is a key component of the Bowser Administration’s efforts to promote pathways to the middle class and spread prosperity for District residents. On Wednesday morning, the Mayor will highlight the District’s unprecedented investments in small businesses at the release the third Small Business Enterprise (SBE) Opportunity Guide (also known as the Green Book).
 
Last week, the Mayor joined Events DC to celebrate the opening of new retail at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center – Morris American Bar and Unconventional Diner. The new tenants, who are joining Union Kitchen Grocery and Urban Athletic Club which previously opened this summer, will serve the surrounding neighborhood, create jobs for District residents, and enhance DC’s vibrant tourism industry. The first phase of retail at the Convention Center opened in September 2016 and included Smoked & Stacked, Composition ID, and Cuttin’ Up Barbershop.