Best Local Bay Area Businesses To Shop On Black Friday 2015
(credit: Laurie Jo Miller Farr)
Shopping small is very important for independent retailers and the fabric of our neighborhoods. Traditionally, the day after Thanksgiving provides an opportunity to support small retailers in your area. In addition to these shopping suggestions, we've found some more to include hot cider, free parking and even a vintage-style circus. Make a note on the calendar that this year's Black Friday is November 27, 2015 and Small Business Saturday is November 28, 2015. Are you in?
222 Stockton St.
San Francisco, CA 94108
(800) 886-9797
www.berenshoes.com
Cap off a Black Friday shopping day in Union Square with the 26th Annual Macy's Christmas Tree Lighting. Festivities begin on Friday, Nov. 27 at 6 p.m. for the 6:40 p.m. illumination. While the independent retailers available in Union Square are fewer than the chains, you'll find some excellent shopkeepers. Take special note of Arthur Beren Shoes, a family-owned fixture for as many years as there has been a Christmas tree in Union Square. Enter to win the Dream Shoe Giveaway and see the Anyi Lu collection for the best combination of style and comfort, all designed by a Bay Area local.
Goorin Bros.
1612 Stockton St.
San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 402-0454
www.goorin.com
Black Friday is the perfect excuse to hang around North Beach doing some people watching, drinking cappuccino and indulging in a chocolate fedora slice at Stella Pastry & Café. Cap that off with a classic fedora from the fall styles at Goorin Bros. hat-makers' flagship. Born in 1895 from a Pittsburgh horse-drawn cart, re-established in 1949 in San Francisco, Goorin Bros. is still a family business. Interiors are designed to evoke a turn-of-the-last-century feel, complete with antique mahogany shelves, ornate mirrors and nostalgic family photos. Staff are great at hat tips and significant sales occur.
Julie Tuton Jewelry
73 Throckmorton Ave.
Mill Valley, CA 94941
(415) 871-4236
www.julietuton.com
How about free parking, twinkling lights and the scent of redwoods to accompany a Black Friday Christmas list outing? After 25 years as a North Bay-based jewelry designer, Julie celebrates her first holiday season in her own jewel box shop in the heart of Mill Valley. Leave thoughts of big box stores behind when you stop in for hot cider and the feel-good, stress-free energy space that Julie has created. A bonus: all downtown Mill Valley parking meters are free for up to two hours between Thanksgiving and New Year's Eve.
23570 Arnold Drive
Sonoma, CA 95476
(707) 935-8553
www.chateausonoma.com
Come to the winter circus! Le Cirque de Boheme is an old-style circus based on 1920s French tradition. It's being held under a small tent in the gardens at CornerStone Sonoma, where a collection of independently-owned shops and galleries create an inspirational focus on gorgeous interiors and gardens. The newest neighbors at CornerStone Sonoma are Sunset Magazine and Chateau Sonoma, the longtime favorite home accessories and gift shop formerly in Sonoma Plaza. Come in to their new home to say hello on Black Friday and throughout the holiday season.
604 Main St.
Half Moon Bay, CA 94019
(650) 726-2898
www.mytoque.com
It's not too soon to start thinking about having the perfect culinary tools for preparing the Christmas Day meal. Combine the homey feel of a stroll around Half Moon Bay's shops with the home cooking emphasis that the holidays always brings to mind. Get inspiration from their chef demonstrations and cut down on the length of your holiday shopping list when you stop in at one of the Bay Area's best culinary shops. They're opening at 8 a.m. on Black Friday (with a special discount for the first 20 customers), hosting storewide sales and serving refreshments, too.
