Owl Creek Band

The frenzy of Black Friday shopping is focused largely on malls and national chain stores.

But what about the day after Black Friday? The inaugural Small Business Saturday, sponsored by American Express, is urging shoppers to spend their holiday dollars at local, independent small businesses.

Rainy weather dampened business at some outdoor- and holiday-related East Cobb businesses on Friday, including Christmas Tree lots. But major shopping centers, such as The Avenues East Cobb, had nearly full parking lots as the doors opened early for bargain hunters.

Small Business Saturday also coincides with the weekly Village Market at Paper Mill, where local vendors and shop owners display their merchandise from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The market is at the Paper Mill Village Shopping Center, on the northwest corner of Johnson Ferry and Paper Mill roads.

Featured this Saturday will be a performance by the Owl Creek Band, the Trim A Tree Party, and photos with Santa Claus and his elves.

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Black Friday has passed, and small businesses are ready for holiday shoppers to turn their way for Small Business Saturday.

Vendors at the Village Market at Paper Mill are giving East Cobb residents a little holiday spin on the weekly Saturday Market by featuring a performance by the Owl Creek Band, a Trim A Tree Party, and photos with Santa Claus and his elves.

"We are already seeing more people coming to the market today," Angela Bermudez, an East Cobb designer who started the Saturday Market, said about an hour after the market opened at 10 a.m.

Five weeks ago, Bermudez opened the market at the Paper Mill Village Shopping Center with the idea to create a space for open-air shopping in East Cobb. Residents can find art, antiques, handmade fashions, food and other gifts from vendors and shop owners at the market from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every Saturday.

Bermudez said she wants the market to become the one place people go on Saturdays in East Cobb.

"We hope more locals will show up today to do some holiday shopping for Christmas gifts," said Paul Hardy, CEO of Hardright Bakery & Catering. "You just can't find this kind of homemade food or gifts at the big chain stores."

Hardy said it takes time to introduce local brands to people and encourage them to shop more locally, but he feels upbeat for East Cobb businesses and has seen residents do a good amount of local shopping.

East Cobb resident Jan Rose said she is a strong supporter of local businesses, and she rarely shops at the big chains. Rose said she often comes to the Saturday Market to find unusual art and fashion and other things she just cannot find elsewhere.

"I hope they keep up," Rose said about local vendors. "People really need to do more local shopping; it's versatile and fun."

Terry Smith, the owner of My Rolling Gourmet, serves food fresh off the grill at the market.

"It's been great, but we would definitely like to see more, though," Smith said. "The best marketing for small businesses is word of mouth. That's how people get to know you."

Bermudez said she hopes to expand by inviting more vendors and adding a night market by April.

"I've seen so many small businesses struggle in the past two years, people who have lost their homes and everything they worked for," Bermudez said. "I feel thankful that we are starting this in East Cobb and it's been going great so far."

- Patch.com

?Appealing to people drawn to arts, food and music, the East Cobb Market just wrapped up its first year of popping into existence on the third Saturday of every month across Sandy Plains Road from Sprayberry High School.

The market runs from March to November, although it just got its start in June, said Stephanie Prince Warren, the East Cobb Market coordinator. The market is taking off, and the community has embraced it, she said.

Warren gets excited when shoppers turn into vendors, and she boasts of market regulars.

The market is filled with handmade crafts from a wide variety of vendors. I found a lot of homemade clothing, hairpieces and children's costumes. A number of vendors make ceramics. Keep Wining makes cool items out of recycled wine bottles.

Many vendors offered beautiful jewelry, but one artist stood out from the rest.

Dawn Patini, owner of A Little Piece of My Art, designs personalized pendants out of recycled stainless-steel and sterling-silver washers. Dawn describes her custom jewelry as "a mom and grandma's kind of jewelry."

She hand-stamps each washer with the names of family members; a necklace could have the names of everybody in your family. She makes each piece of jewelry a unique gift from the heart. Patini said she is eager to return in March with more unique items.

Candace Wade owns Candy Bars Soap Co. She makes all-natural bath soaps from the freshest, purest ingredients. Her soaps contain essential oils, herbs and botanicals that offer the luxurious aromas.?

A woman who calls herself Patti DoRag operates a popular booth. She is the proud owner of Awesome Do Rags. She was laid off from her job about two years ago during the recession, but now she sees that incident as a blessing in disguise. She turned her 40-year-old hobby of sewing into a business. She sells do rags to doctors, bikers, children and anyone else looking for a fun accessory.

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Local vocal artists Ed Mullen, Eric "Schmitty" Schmiedeknecht and James Watson from the Owl Creek Band have joined forces to organize a local chapter of Guitars Not Guns.

The charity was started by Ray Nelson in San Jose, CA. He recently relocated to Peachtree City. He was a foster parent and was able to empower foster children through guitar lessons. Thus, Guitars Not Guns was born.

Cobb County has close to 500 foster children and only 111 foster families.

In efforts to prevent violence and foster self-confidence, Guitars Not Guns is now in the Cobb area and is gearing up to offer guitar lessons to foster children and at-risk youth in the spring.

Classes will average 10 students and three teachers. The chapter is looking for volunteers to teach guitar to those children, who need extra care and attention.

In its infancy, the local program needs donations of guitars and money. If you would like to help, contact Schmiedeknecht, the president of Guitars Not Guns North Georgia, at 678-283-7436 or eschmitty@gmail.com.
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Since June, the third Saturday of each month has meant East Cobb Market time for musicians and arts and crafts vendors. The market Nov. 20 was the last until March.

Friends & Family Chiropractic? sponsors the event directly across Sandy Plains Road from Sprayberry High School.

Local musicians such as Ed Mullen, Victor Johnson, Owl Creek Band, Marshall Still, Jeanne Caryn, Milyssa Rose, Marc Lawson, Rick in Robin, and He Sang, She Sang performed throughout the day Nov. 20.

Newly founded Guitars Not Guns had a raffle for a guitar to raise money to help local foster children.?

Just in case all the music, dancing and shopping worked up any appetites, the chili cook-off was there to feed all the hungry mouths.

Look for the East Cobb Market to return in the spring.

- Patch.com