Small Business Saturday events in Spokane include breakfast, scavenger hunt

Spokane merchants are promoting Small Business Saturday with a free continental breakfast and a downtown scavenger hunt.

U.S. consumers will spend billions of dollars on Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa gifts this year. When some of that money trickles into small retail establishments, it has an outsized effect on the local economy, business leaders say.

The Small Business Saturday breakfast runs 8-11 a.m. at 801 W. Riverside Ave. Shoppers can pick up reusable shopping bags and information to join the trivia scavenger hunt. The events are hosted by the Downtown Spokane Partnership and Greater Spokane Incorporated.

Five shoppers will win $100 to be used at a participating downtown location. People can pickup the scavenger hunt worksheet at the breakfast; at River Park Square’s concierge desk; or by downloading the worksheet at downtownspokane.org after 8 a.m. Saturday. Completed forms must be returned by 8 p.m. to the River Park Square concierge drop box. The drawing is Monday.

Small Business Saturday was launched in 2010 by American Express to encourage shoppers to patronize locally owned retailers in their communities.

About 53 percent of Spokane-area consumers say they are likely to shop on Small Business Saturday, according a survey done by Washington State University’s Carson College of Business.