Little Boxes is Portland’s response to Black Friday: instead of braving the big-box mega-stores, Little Boxes unites local, independent shops and boutiques and encourages Portlanders to shop local, get special discounts, and earn chances to win prizes. Little Boxes was first dreamed up by Betsy Cross and Will Cervarich of betsy & iya, and the PDX shopping event is now in its third year, and growing to epic proportions.

How epic, you ask? Well, it seems like practically every local shop we love is participating this year, in all of Portland’s neighborhoods, so all you have to do to snag a unique gift for your favorite person is take a walk up the street. This year, they’re also introducing an iPhone app, so you can map out your shopping and track your entries to win. And speaking of winning, they have a bigger, better list of prizes you can win by shopping local. Round-trip airfare and 4-night deluxe accommodations for two? Yes, you could snag that just by visiting your neighborhood boutique.

Why we’re inspired: Portland has a vibrant community for independent shops and designers–you’ll see boutiques with “Shop Local” signage on the wall, and shops Tweeting or Facebooking about why they believe in supporting local businesses. Little Boxes took that a giant step further, by reaching out and bringing the independent businesses and the shoppers in our community together on the biggest shopping weekend of the year. Getting people to actually get out of their houses, step into their local community, and really enjoy the unique experience of shopping local? That’s a pretty big deal.

Be sure to experience the awesomeness for yourself: shop at your favorite Little Boxes this year, on November 29th and 30th. For a full list of participating shops, check out the Little Boxes web site.

Portland fashion photography – Portland web design – Upswept Creative