Downtown Seward is bringing back its shop small event next weekend, and more than 35 businesses are already set to participate.

Marissa Beck, the membership director at the Seward Visitor Center and Chamber of Commerce, said Wednesday that the weekend aims to support local businesses by offering different promotions.

Consumers at participating businesses will be eligible to win raffle prizes donated by local businesses. The city will also host a craft fair with local vendors.

Beck said the months after the summer on the eastern peninsula are generally pretty quiet, so the weekend will hopefully bring some traffic to downtown.

“Typically (in) our shoulder seasons … it slows down,” Beck said.

This year, however, she said the local economy is still seeing a decent amount of tourism. Beck said she’s seen hotels and lodging facilities stay open year-round more “than ever before.”

She said the chamber is hopeful the shop small weekend will elicit people in the community to continue to support local business owners and artists.

“We try to keep that focus on supporting our economy,” Beck said.

Last year, she said, the craft fair with local vendors had to be canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.

“We just wanted to make a safe shopping experience,” Beck said.

This year, though, she said the craft fair is back in full swing.

“We get to focus more on the shopping and the promotions,” Beck said.

Shop small weekend promotions will be available at participating businesses from Nov. 26 to Nov. 28 in Seward.

Reach reporter Camille Botello at camille.botello@peninsulaclarion.com.