HAMILTON, Ohio — It’s been a rough year. Need a drink?
If you answered yes, small businesses in Hamilton hope you’ll think of them. Many will be offering discounted drinks and challenging customers to a “cocktail quest” spanning multiple bars and restaurants over the holiday season.
It’s all part of “Holly Jolly Hamilton,” an initiative meant to promote small, local businesses that have felt the crush of the COVID-19 recession.
“It’s a really big deal to be able to do something like this, especially during the pandemic,” said city spokesman Jacob Stone-Welch. “Right now, we need to be rallying as a community to do everything we can to support each other and businesses.”
Holly Jolly Hamilton includes plenty of kid-friendly events, too.
Families can play a game that involves visiting local businesses to search for Santa’s missing reindeer; pick up take-home activities that range from ornament decoration to candle-making; and check out Journey Borealis, a light-based art show at Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park.
Each activity has been carefully planned by the city’s “Rapid Restart Team,” a group dedicated to ensuring small businesses have the means to survive 2020.
“It’s always been important,” said Tyler McCleary, who helped plan the initiative as director of operations for Tano Hospitality Group. “This year, as unprecedented as it is, it’s extremely important. There’s no corporate backing to us or local businesses here. It’s families trying to make a living and make an impact in the community."
You can learn more about Holly Jolly Hamilton right here.
