Local businesses highlighted on Small Business Saturday

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Saturday marks one of the busiest days of the year for local shops – Small Business Saturday.

Thousands stopped by locally owned stores all across Western New York. News 4 stopped by South Buffalo where places are kicking off the holiday shopping season.

Buying a treat or two during the holidays at Ko-Ed Candies is a sweet tradition for many in South Buffalo.

“We get so many people who say, we grew up across the street, my grandma used to walk me over. I’ve been coming here for 50 years,” said Ko-Ed retail manager Lisa Malinowski. “”People love this neighborhood, they want to support the neighborhood and I think those are the people we will see today.”

Besides small business Saturday, the South Buffalo Community Association is hosting the first ever South Buffalo Winterfest. The event, at the Buffalo Irish Center, features local vendors, kids activities and a trolley ride. Organizers hope the fest draws people to South Buffalo and to the local businesses.

“The response from businesses has been overwhelming, they’re just so happy someone is taking a light and really shinning it on South Buffalo because there’s so much greatness here, we’re just trying to promote it and bring people here,” South Buffalo Community Association executive director Michael Weigrich said.

Visitors can experience the traditions, and check out what’s new in the community. Like Construction on “The Caz” a future music venue on Seneca Street in what was once a former bank.

“We wanted to open the doors today on this venue to give people a chance to come in, take a look and see what we’re doing, and see the excitement we have for the project and how we feel it’s going to benefit the neighborhood and community,” project partner Tom Kuwaga said.

Kuwaga will give tours of the space again in two weeks during “Shop South Buffalo.”

“We feel this is one of those next neighborhoods in Buffalo, young people moving here, Seneca Street has seen a rejuvenation in the past couple years,” Kuwaga said. “There’s others investing in the neighborhood and we want to be part of that.”