With all the media hype about Black Friday and the frenzy at big box stores, businesses throughout St. Lawrence County want people to take to their downtown streets and shops for “Small Business Saturday.”

It’s a nationwide initiative, and St. Lawrence County businesses are on board, offering sales and special events for Saturday, Nov. 29.

Potsdam is taking the strategy to heart, offering free parking, gift wrapping, an art market and special prices at many stores Saturday.

After Black Friday and before Cyber Monday, a promotion of online shopping to match Black Friday, Small Business Saturday is intended to steer people to their local stores, many of which have seen their sales decline in the face of the big-box store boom and the growth of online shopping.

Potsdam has added incentives to get people into its stores. The Chamber of Commerce is offering free gift wrapping of items bought locally. The chamber office at 24 Market St. will be open Saturday, Nov. 29 and again on Dec. 13 to wrap gifts for free for people who have a receipt for each item from a chamber member store. They will also wrap gifts from local outlets that are not chamber members, three for $2.

And the chamber has again persuaded village government to allow parking downtown without having to feed parking meters through Dec. 30.

Ogdensburg and Massena chambers of commerce are promoting local businesses for the event with ads for local retail shops.

The Potsdam Farmers’ Market, in the front lobby of Clarkson University’s Cheel Arena for the winter, will have wreaths, garland and centerpieces along with its usual variety of food and baked goods, Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to noon.

The Ogdensburg Farmers’ Market, at the First Presbyterian Church, 423 Ford St., will be open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. They are also offering a free community lunch to visitors – something not likely to be seen at a big chain supermarket.

An Art Market Saturday is in Potsdam Town Hall, 18 Elm St., from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. It is free and hosted by the St. Lawrence County Arts Council.

Community members can meet local artists, see their work, and purchase in-person from the artists.

A complete listing of artist vendors is available at http://www.slcartscouncil.org.

In Morristown and Hammond, Artisans of the River Valley are sponsoring an open studio event and art sale for “Shop Local Saturday.” Some of the artists participating are listed here.

“I know many of you may be focused on Black Friday, but please remember that the very next day is Small Business Saturday, November 29,” said Assemblyman Marc Butler (R-Newport), whose district includes Madrid, Norfolk, Stockholm, Parishville, Pierrepont, Clare, Colton, Clifton and Fine. “The mantra for the day is ‘Shop Small,’ but I encourage you to follow this motto every day of the year. Shopping locally has a big impact on our communities.”

Butler points to studies which estimate that for every $100 spent at a local business $68 will remain in the local communities. In comparison, about 60 percent of local money spent at non-locally owned businesses leaves the community.

“Not only are small businesses the biggest employers in our economy, but they are more likely to do business with other small businesses, meaning more money stays in our hometowns,” Butler said in a message to constituents.