The Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA) is once again rewarding residents and visitors for supporting locally owned downtown businesses and getting everyone in the festive spirit with the return of the annual Holiday Shopping Passport program and the Holiday Window contest.
Holiday Shopping Passports are now available at over 160 participating shops, boutiques, salons, restaurants, and cafes in “The Boro”. For every $10 you spend at participating businesses, you earn a passport stamp.
When a passport is filled with 20 stamps, the completed passport becomes a ballot for one of three early bird draws on Wednesdays during December for a $500 Boro gift card and a grand prize draw for a $1,500 Boro gift card in January.
The early bird draws take place on December 4, 11, and 18, with the grand prize draw on January 8. To get you started, free stamps are available at the Peterborough Public Library, the Peterborough and the Kawarthas Visitors Centre, and Peterborough Square’s North Pole.
Along with the chance to win Boro gift cards, choosing to shop at independent businesses in downtown Peterborough also supports the local economy.
A report by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business has found that, for every $100 spent at a locally owned business in Canada, $63 is recirculated back into the community, compared to only $14 when shopping at a multinational chain and nothing at all when you shop at internet giants like Amazon.
“Our Holiday Shopping Passport program is a wonderful way to support downtown Peterborough’s unique, locally owned businesses while enjoying the festive season” says Peterborough DBIA executive director Nour Mazloum in a media release.
“Every stamp represents a contribution to our local economy and a connection to the people and places that make our downtown vibrant and welcoming. We’re thrilled to offer this incentive as a thank-you to our community for shopping and dining downtown.”
Find out more about Holiday Shopping Passports and see a list of locations at https://theboro.ca/holiday-shopping-passport-season/.
The DBIA is also helping shoppers get in the festive spirit with the annual Holiday Window Contest, where downtown businesses are challenged to decorate their storefront windows in the theme “Frozen Fantasy.”
From now until December 31, you can vote online for your favourite storefront display. Visit pollunit.com/polls/holidaywindowcontest to see this year’s holiday displays and to vote. The three businesses the receive the most votes will win a Boro gift card.
To make it easier and more affordable to shop in downtown Peterborough, the City of Peterborough will be providing free two-hour parking in the downtown beginning Black Friday (November 29) until the end of December, courtesy of Wolfe Lawyers.
For more information on businesses in downtown Peterborough and holiday events, visit theboro.ca and follow The Boro on Instagram and Facebook.
