Bel Air Mayor Paula Etting has announced that parking in downtown Bel Air will be free this Saturday to promote shopping at small businesses, and will remain free through the holiday season.

Small Business Saturday,in its 15th year, is a nationwide campaign designed to encourage shopping locally and to stimulate economic growth in communities across the United States, Etting said. Small Business Saturday was founded by American Express in 2010 and has been co-sponsored by the U.S. Small Business Administration since 2011, according to SBA’s website.

“For every dollar spent at a small business in the United States, 68 cents is reinvested into our community through local purchases, supporting jobs and strengthening the local economy,” Etting said during a town hall meeting on Nov. 18.

Jennifer Erhard, executive director of the Bel Air Downtown Alliance, was at the meeting to receive a proclamation certificate from Etting. The certificate officially declared Small Business Saturday in Bel Air to be Nov. 30, 2024.

“We have been doing this for some time, and it really makes a difference to all of the small businesses who come in every single day and put their heart and souls into their businesses, and who very much depend on all the people who live here and visit from far and wide,” Erhard said.

The town has made on-street parking at metered spaces downtown free through Jan. 1. A map of businesses can be found on Bel Air Downtown Alliance’s website.

Have a news tip? Contact Brennan Stewart at bstewart@baltsun.com, 443-800-5902, or @BrennanStewart_ on X.