It’s the most wonderful time of the year — especially for retailers.

This was obviously evident last weekend, as Michiana residents got into the shopping spirit during Black Friday and Small Business Saturday.

It was wonderful to see the downtown district alive and cheery in Niles Saturday evening. Customers filled storefronts and restaurants to show support for the locally owned businesses, following the success of Dowagiac’s annual Christmas celebration.

While there will always be an uptick in shopping the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas, it is imperative to the health of our communities that we show our locally owned businesses love 52 weeks per year.

I know first-hand how tempting it can be to make all of our purchases with our fingertips, on our smart phones and laptops, in the comfort of our own home. We don’t have to warm up the car — or even leave the comfort of our pajamas.

While online shopping is a tool that we can certainly all utilize, I encourage all consumers to consider how they can support brick and mortar businesses that directly impact our local economy. Otherwise, our downtown districts will not be able to survive, and I don’t know about you, but the possibility of having an empty downtown again seems downright depressing.

It has been awesome to see each of our downtowns bounce back in the years following the recession, and business owners continue to work to find the perfect formula for success. Some businesses thrive more than others, but without a group of entrepreneurs willing to invest in their communities, our downtowns cannot thrive.

Some of my fondest holiday memories growing up were spent in the car with my mom and siblings, driving down Main Street in Niles to see the light poles glittering with Christmas decorations before making our way to see Santa Claus floating in the river.

If we do not support our local businesses, they will no longer operate, and their storefronts will become empty. If the storefronts become empty, there will be far fewer tax dollars to fund amenities like holiday lights and ornaments.

These fond memories — and the valuable family time accompanying them — will no longer exist.

So as Santa Claus makes his way to town and you do some Christmas shopping of your own, consider which items you can take off the cyber shopping list and add to your brick and mortar list.

Who knows? You might create some memories while you’re at it.

Ambrosia Neldon is the general manager at Leader Publications. She can be reached by phone at (269) 687-7700, or by email at ambrosia.neldon@leaderpub.com.