Santa’s Arrival Brings Christmas Spirit and Local Shoppers to Nutley – TAPinto.net

NUTLEY, NJ – Santa has arrived in Nutley!  The appearance of Jolly ‘ol Saint Nick on Friday afternoon not only signals the beginning of the Christmas season, but also kicks off Small Business Saturday in Nutley.

The 57th Annual Santa’s Arrival at the Nutley Park Oval, an event organized by the Nutley Chamber of Commerce and made possible by local businesses, not only provides children in the community an opportunity to meet Santa and Mrs. Claus, but let’s residents know that Nutley is open for business.

“This is a great tradition that the Chamber of Commerce continues – I remember when I was a little kid coming here and seeing Santa arrive by helicopter,” said Nutley Mayor Dr. Joseph Scarpelli.  “This event ushers in the holiday season and I hope everyone shops locally.”

Small Business Saturday is a shopping holiday held on the Saturday after Thanksgiving during one of the busiest shopping periods of the year. 

Created by American Express to help get more customers to visit local establishments, Small Business Saturday has grown to become a holiday shopping tradition.  It was first observed in November 2010 and is a counterpart to Black Friday and Cyber Monday, which feature big box retail and e-commerce stores.

“This event is supported by the businesses of Nutley, so we thank them for sponsoring and allowing us to put this event on every year,” said Daniel Leon, President of Nutley Chamber of Commerce.  “We have about three to four thousand people attending today, both residents from inside the town and from surrounding towns, and they get to see how great Nutley is.”

Small Business Saturday encourages holiday shoppers to patronize local brick and mortar businesses.

“It benefits us a lot because if you shop locally, you are helping our small businesses which then helps everything in the town,” Leon added.  “You really don’t have to go anywhere, we have plenty of restaurants and stores, a lot of places to go here and (Nutley) is one of the last few small closely-knit towns, so shopping here helps a great deal.”

Despite the 30-degree temperature and gusty winds, the kids enjoyed witnessing Santa’s chopper land at the 50-yard-line while local business owners appreciated the extra foot traffic into their stores.

Major sponsors for the 2018 event included North Jersey Orthopedic & Sports Medicine Institute, Nutley Auto Kia, Nutley Park ShopRite, Proponent Federal Credit Union, Talent Hub 360-Allure Realty and TAPinto Nutley.

Other top sponsors included Clara Maass Medical Center-RWJ Barnabas Health, Garruto & Calabria Attorneys at Law, RE-MAX Park Square, Spencer Savings Bank, The Phoenix Center, Virtual Assist, and Dr. Joseph Scarpelli.

“It’s the kickoff to the holiday season and Nutley does it right every year as the Chamber of Commerce gets all the businesses together to put this event on free of charge for the community,” said Robert Frannicola, owner of Ultimate Entertainment, who provided music to keep the spectators entertained while waiting for Santa’s grand entrance.

Goodie bags were also distributed to families upon entry to the Park Oval that included give-a-ways and coupons from sponsoring businesses.

Since Small Business Saturday started, customers nationwide have reported spending an estimated $85 billion at independent retailers and restaurants.  Now in its ninth year, more consumers and communities are coming together to support small businesses.

By choosing to shop locally, consumers are investing in their neighborhoods, strengthening their communities and keeping tax dollars local.