Stacey Ford Osborne, acting public information officer for the city of Elgin and acting community services director, hosted a conversation with local business owner Molly Alexander on community radio to promote this weekend’s Shop Small activities in downtown Elgin.

Alexander, owner of Imagine the Possibilities (ITP) Consulting and Elgin Dry Goods, said Shop Small — held the Saturday after Thanksgiving — is “a way to think about community as well.” She described it as an intentional choice by shoppers to visit locally owned stores and said the effort began in Austin before American Express became a national sponsor.

Alexander recounted more than 35 years working with Main Street and downtown revitalization efforts nationwide and said her retail consulting is informed by operating a store herself. “You can’t — I really believe you have to be a retailer to be a retail consultant,” she said, adding that Elgin Dry Goods has been in downtown Elgin for 11 years.

She urged visitors to start downtown — for example, grab coffee at Lo Fi, browse the Painted Raven (arts and classes), visit Dorothy’s Jewelry (a longtime local jeweler), the Owl and the Elgin Emporium, the thrift store sale, the vintage shop, ATX Jerky, Things Celtic (a recent arrival), and the cards-and-gifts shop by Prosperity Bank. Alexander noted diners can choose from several local restaurants, including Italian options and Lucy’s.

Osborne described a recent city tour of downtown businesses and echoed the call to action: “Get out and support your small businesses this Saturday in Downtown Elgin 8AM,” she said, closing the segment with thanks to Alexander and an invitation to residents to spend the day exploring local shops.

The program did not list a calendar date beyond “the Saturday after Thanksgiving.” Event start time mentioned on-air was 8 a.m.; further event details and official listings were not specified in the broadcast.