The “Loving Local” campaign kicked off Feb. 1 and runs through Mon., Feb. 14. “Loving Local” aims to highlight Hamilton through more than 26 different Valentine-themed promotions as it brings awareness to the businesses downtown and encourages residents to be engaged on a local level.
“This is a great push for February to support these local businesses, so that’s how the campaign started, Grubb said, “We wanted to give local businesses a push during the winter months, which tend to be slower after the holidays.”
Whether you want to get something for your significant other, a child, or a pet, there’s something for everyone in Hamilton for Valentine’s Day. In the past, more than 35 businesses have participated in the “Loving Local” campaign in February.
For example, Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park & Museum is offering a free admission to the park with the purchase of an admission when participants propose. The promotion appropriately encourages participants to “Love Art...Love Each Other - Come to Pyramid Hill to propose to the love of your life.” Those interested in participating in the promotion can call Pyramid Hill in advance to let the staff know you are proposing, and you will receive a BOGO admission. The park’s only request is that you post a photo of the proposal on social media and us the tag #pyramidhill. Call (513) 868-8336 to sign up for the BOGO offer, or for more details.
Two Little Buds has several promotions as part of “Loving Local,” including a Galentine’s Night Out on Thurs., Feb. 10. Participants will enjoy a night out with the gals for a floral arranging workshop, where owner Mindy Staton will teach participants how to create their own arrangement to take home. Guests will also enjoy their own mini charcuterie tray and a curated wine selection. Call (513) 816-7742 or visit www.twolittlebuds.com for details.
Hamilton has about 65 businesses located throughout downtown Hamilton. “Loving Local” provides a guide for residents, and it takes the thinking out of coming up with something new, creative or out-of-the-box. For a complete listing of promotions, events and details, go to www.hamilton-ohio.com/explore-hamilton. Participating businesses are listed for each event.
“Residents will have a list of all these experiences that you can do, or different things you can buy, or memories you can create, like The Benison, where they are having a five-course dinner with custom-made desserts and live entertainment on Mon., Feb. 14 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. To have a whole night out that you might not have thought of yourself, but seeing it on a campaign like this, you can decide to do that. So, this takes the guesswork out of it,” Grubb said.
Seeing these businesses listed on a guide, and what they have to offer makes a big impact, she said.
“When people shop local, the money stays in the community, and that’s so important. Over our revitalization period, the community has supported, and really gotten on board with the ‘shop local’ message and movement that’s happening all over the country, but here, we have so many local businesses and people in our community that are loyal. They want to see our businesses succeed,” said Grubb.
The revitalization in Hamilton has spanned over the past10 years, and there is still more to come with projects like Spooky Nook, which will continue to attract visitors to the area. For more than a decade, the Hamilton Chamber has also been a champion for “Small Business Saturday,” which is consistently one of the largest shopping days for local businesses.
Additionally, local businesses continue to see an increase in traffic of shoppers and dinners who come from outside of Hamilton. Hamilton has attracted visitors from West Chester, Mason, Liberty Twp., and Oxford, to name a few.
“We hear from people who spend the day here, and they say, ‘Wow, I had no idea that Hamilton had grown so much.’ So, we are becoming a destination city. RiversEdge in the summer draws thousands of people, and those are free concerts. So, there’s a lot going on here that makes it attractive, not only to residents in our community but the surrounding communities as well,” Grubb said.
The “Explore Hamilton” app is another way community members can keep up to date with the listing of community events, which are listed there. Also, each of the businesses are listed on a map. Community members who want to find out more information, can download the app before they visit. The app is free, and it can be downloaded from the App Store, or the Google Play store.
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