For Small Business Saturday, Vice President Kamala Harris paid an afternoon visit to D.C.’s Downtown Holiday Market for a little holiday shopping and to stress the vital role of small businesses in the U.S. economy.
Accompanied by Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, stepson Cole Emhoff and his girlfriend Greenley Littlejohn, the Second Family greeted local shoppers and made stops at the Downtown Holiday Market by Capital One Arena on F Street, Northwest between 7th and 9th streets.
The Vice President tweeted photos of her trip later in the day.
Today @SecondGentleman and I stopped by the DC Holiday Market to celebrate our small businesses. The last two years have been particularly difficult for our small businesses, but they are such an important part of the fabric of the community. pic.twitter.com/RGcp6qtvOK
— Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) November 27, 2021
The VP’s digital strategist also tweeted Harris and family as they greeted local shoppers and other onlookers.
.@VP stopped by the DC Holiday Market today to support our small businesses. #SmallBusinessSaturday pic.twitter.com/PxG73ZE6jM
— Brenna Parker (@BrennaParker46) November 27, 2021
In addition to year-round shops, the Downtown Holiday Market also hosts booths for local artisans and independent merchants during the holiday season.
You can see a listing of vendors at the Downtown Holiday Market here.
Adam Godet, a D.C. based woodworker with a booth at the market appreciated Harris’ attention to local business.
“The fact that the VP has time — makes the time — to support people in DC was really tremendous,” Godet said. “A lot of people associate D.C. as a city of bureaucrats, a one-company town. But really, we have an amazing array of artists and makers and creatives doing all kinds of things here.”
After emerging from The Capital Candy Jar with large bags of popcorn and other treats, Harris and clan ducked into the Mondepice Spices and Tea pop-up holiday booth, as well as Terratorie Maps + Goods where her and the First Gentleman admired a map of their former hometown of Los Angeles.
“I was obviously very excited,” said Elise Foster, an employee of Terratorie Maps+Goods. “I think it’s really symbolic and it makes a big difference.”
“She bought three of our maps, so we were really excited about that. She got D.C., LA where Doug is from, and San Francisco because we don’t have Oakland, yet. But we will be on that right away, Madam Vice-President.”
Last stop on the shopping tour was Smell of Love Candles, where she spent time talking to Alejandro, the Fairfax sixth-grader who started the shop to raise funds college and help the homeless. Harris referred to Alejandro as a “kidpreneur.”
Before departing the market, Harris said “These last two years have been particularly difficult for our small businesses, but they are part of the fabric of the community … The life blood. Clearly everybody knows that because they’re out here supporting these [local] leaders.”
CORRECTION: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated the holiday market was hosted in the Eastern Market neighborhood. This version also corrects the position of an employee at Terratorie Maps+Goods.
