As we turn our clocks back and our calendars ahead, we are reminded that the holiday season is close upon us. November’s Veterans Day and Thanksgiving holidays are good reminders for us to be grateful to all those who serve and have sacrificed for our nation, and thankful for the spirit, generosity and resilience of our entire Cape Ann community through the pandemic. And as we look ahead and prepare for Cape Ann’s holiday celebrations in December, a great way to show our gratitude is to support the local businesses that have supported us all year long.

The owners and employees of local restaurants, shops, galleries and inns are our neighbors and our friends. Facing some of the most difficult challenges imaginable, they have provided goods and services to residents and visitors alike, with extraordinary grace and care to ensure our safety. With great support from local government leaders and health officials, Cape Ann’s business community has demonstrated its creativity in finding new ways to serve their customers safely and responsively.

Take-out, delivery, curbside pick-up, special hours. With all these measures and many more Cape Ann’s entrepreneurs have adapted and responded. Many have created or expanded their online shopping opportunities.

In the pages ahead, learn more about the many ways we can support local Cape Ann businesses this holiday season and beyond:

The Cape Ann Chamber is a partner in the My Local MA campaign. The goal of this statewide campaign is to make the case that buying local is “how we do our part to preserve the Massachusetts that we know and love.”

This holiday season, we invite all to be part of this campaign and help local businesses across Cape Ann recover from the impact of COVID-19. Let’s put our money where are hearts are: right here on Cape Ann.