By ROD LEE

With October comes Yom Kippur, Columbus Day, Halloween—and the initial stirrings of excitement for Shop Small 01588, which will be celebrating its ninth year in the Church St. area of downtown Whitinsville in 2022.

The 2021 version of Shop Small 01588 was “awesome” with eighteen local businesses taking part, Christine Guanipa, owner and operator of Little Man Handbags & Accessories at 110 Church St. (2nd Floor), said.

These included Ms. Guanipa’s own business along with Crescent Studio, Family Karate Center, Harbro Sales & Service, Driven Elite Training, Flower Shop, Furiends Gourmet Pet Treats, Katalina’s Boutique, LuLu’s Jewelry & Gifts and Lularoe/Kathy Bartlett Pop-Up at LuLu’s, The Crafty Nest DIY, The Green Plate, Whitin Community Center, Schotanus Design Center and Wood Shop at The Pop-Up at Schotanus, The Daily Grind Barbershop and UniBank.

Also Folklore Gift Shop, which has since been melded into LuLu’s storefront in the former Baker Building, 68 Church St.

This year’s Shop Small 01588 will again be “passport-style” and it will run for a full week, from a start date on “Small Business Saturday”—November 26—through the following Saturday, December 3rd, Ms. Guanipa said. Shoppers can return their passport stamp cards to Schotanus Design Center, 83 Church St., to be eligible for prizes.

Time is of the essence for merchants to register for Shop Small 01588. Deadline for doing so is October 21.

Contact Rod Lee at [email protected] or 774-232-2999.