Downtown Gadsden merchants are embracing the holiday spirit and inviting shoppers to take part in Plaid Friday, a fun and festive alternative to the hustle and bustle of Black Friday, created to promote the unique experiences and personal connections that come with shopping small and supporting local businesses. The date for this year’s Plaid Friday is Nov. 28, 2025.
To show support, shoppers are encouraged to wear plaid while exploring Gadsden’s locally owned shops, restaurants, and galleries. Many downtown merchants will offer special promotions, refreshments and door prizes throughout the day and Santa will pop in for visits between noon and 3 p.m. Shoppers are invited to share their shopping experience on social media and use hashtags on social media, such as #plaidfriday, #shoplocal and #dinelocal.
Plaid Friday is a movement that offers an alternative to the fast pace of big box shopping while showing support for local merchants. It originated in Oakland, Calif. in 2009 and the name was chosen from the idea of weaving individual threads of small businesses together to create a strong fabric that celebrates independent businesses. Plaid Friday promotes the diversity and creativity of local and independent businesses and aims to transform holiday shopping for family and friends into a more connected, pleasurable activity than Black Friday. It is believed Downtown Gadsden is the only city in Alabama to host Plain Friday.
Plaid Friday precedes Small Business Saturday, meaning holiday shoppers can turn their two-day, post-Thanksgiving shopping excursions into 48 hours of opportunities to support small businesses.
For a list of Downtown Gadsden Inc. member businesses, visit https://downtowngadsden.com/member_type/retail/. Downtown Gadsden is also filled with a nice selection of local-owned restaurants that are sure to please the whole family. Visit https://downtowngadsden.com/member_type/restaurants/ ahead of time to see what is available and to make a plan.
For more information, visit www.downtowngadsden.com.
