This weekend, come on down to Downtown Alpena to shop back-to-school locally during the Back to School Shopping event on August 21st, 2021. This will be a full day of shopping with sales, backpack giveaways, and giving back to local teachers and students!

Merchants participating in this event include:

• Glik’s
• Alpena Salt Spa
• Colburn Outfitters
• Cobbygoose
• The Bluebird Boutique
• Rusty Petunias Marketplace
• Sweet Baby James
• The Local Basket Case
• The Rabbit Hole
• Myers’ Fashions Etc.
• Olivet Book & Gift
• Traveling Ladders
• Style Wherehouse
• Chippewa Valley Mercantile & Leatherworks
• Parallel 45 Books & Gifts
• Alpena Furniture
• Cedar & Threads

“Since the start of last school year, we’ve had more than ten new businesses join the downtown district! Specifically there are several new (or new-to-downtown) retail businesses, so this year we really wanted to encourage people to shop for those back-to-school essentials locally, right here in our downtown community,” said Alpena DDA Marketing and Outreach Coordinator, Kingsli Kraft. “We know that so many people are accustomed to traveling to shop for back to school clothes and supplies, but this year we have such a variety of new options for clothes, accessories, planners, books, and more, all right here within the Downtown District, within just a few blocks. We want to encourage everyone to shop locally first!”

The following merchants will be hosting backpack giveaways that you can enter to win:

• Family Enterprise (closed Saturday but can enter to win leading up)
• The Rabbit Hole
• Bluebird Boutique
• Cobbygoose
• Alpena Salt Spa
• Colburn Outfitters
• Rusty Petunias Marketplace
• Sweet Baby James

The following merchants are collecting donations of school supplies whether monetary or physical supplies. ($ – denotes where you can make a monetary contribution; * – denotes where you can bring physical supplies to donate to teachers.)

• Rusty Petunias Marketplace $
• Bluebird Boutique *
• Colburn Outfitters $
• Chippewa Valley Mercantile & Leatherworks*
• The Local Basket Case *
• Olivet Book & Gift *
• Cedar & Threads *

In addition to these, some other fun back to school promotions you can take advantage of this weekend as a student, a parent, or a teacher include:

• At The Local Basket Case, stop in to nominate your favorite teacher and they might win a $50 Gift Certificate to purchase supplies for their classroom.
• Rusty Petunias Marketplace will have sales on planners, backpacks, lanyards, and organizers, as well as bottles of wine for ‘Mom’s (and teachers!) after-school snack!’
• When you bring in a teacher school supply to Olivet Book & Gift, you will get 10% off 1 item in the store (excluding consignment items).
• At the Bluebird Boutique, all teachers receive 15% off their total purchase. You can also bring in a school supply (examples will be provided on their Facebook Page) for donation and receive 10% off your total purchase, and all purchases will be entered to win a $25.00 store gift card (drawing will be held Monday 8/23).
• At Chippewa Valley Mercantile & Leatherworks, help fill one of their handmade leather tote bags with supplies for one lucky teacher! One donated item equals one entry for a teacher of their choice (drawing will be held Saturday 8/21 at 5 pm).
• At Colburn Outfitters, pick a lollipop to reveal your sweet deal! 15%-40% off your purchase of regular priced merchandise!
• At Myers Fashions Etc., receive $30 in free gift certificates when you stop by and browse sale items.

So make sure you come downtown to shop for back to school this Saturday, whether you’re a teacher, a student, a parent or maybe not even going back to school at all, there’s plenty of shopping to go around!

The Back to School Shopping event takes place Saturday, August 21, 2021 during merchants business hours. You can view the Facebook event by clicking here.