Shopping close to home: Small businesses stay busy on Black Friday

MOSES LAKE — Business was brisk at small businesses on Black Friday.

The Thanksgiving weekend is normally one of the busiest of the year for Mary Davenport, owner of the Stella & Me boutique in Moses Lake. And Friday afternoon was no exception.

“Excellent,” Davenport said of sales. “Moses Lake always turns out very nice for us.”

It was also busy at The Fabric Patch in Ephrata.

“You know what? Business is pretty good today,” said an employee who only wanted to identify herself as Barbara.

People were chatting over coffee at Mason’s Place, in the Smith Martin Building in Moses Lake. At the building’s Division Street entrance, volunteers decorated trees for the annual Habitat for Humanity of Greater Moses Lake’s Festival of Trees auction. The trees will be on display in the Smith Martin Building lobby; the Festival of Trees will be virtual this year.

Customers were selecting projects to paint at Artgarden Pottery, on a day when owner Laura Mayer hosted a walk-in painting session. Customers looked over the unfinished Christmas ornaments, plates and bowls, called blanks, on display, as they decided what they wanted to decorate.

Shoppers were buying jewelry and clothing at Love & Lumber in Moses Lake. Owner Jenna Hildebrand said many people were doing at least part of their Christmas shopping at the local businesses downtown.

“It (business) has been great. Moses Lake has definitely supported us,” Hildebrand said.

Black Friday also was looking pretty good at The Bookery in Ephrata.

“We’ve had a decent amount of people today,” said Bookery employee Micayla Friend.

Sue Torrence, owner of Sue’s Gift Boutique, was doing some special sales for the weekend and customers were taking advantage.

“It (business) has been awesome this morning,” Torrence said Friday.