Sipping and snacking while shopping for that perfect gift makes Shopping on Central an appealing day of the year, according to Jill Bush, owner of Xessorize.

“You can’t go around shopping at some of the bigger stores with a glass of wine and some snacks,” Bush said. “People love that. It’s kind of fun. You can have a glass of whatever it is and have a nice casual shopping experience with all of your friends. That’s kind of a big draw for us.”

Shopping on Central, or Black Wednesday, will be Nov. 23.

The event is coordinated through a partnership with the Greater Fort Dodge Growth Alliance and local retailers.

Many local businesses will be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. that day and will offer a variety of special deals, drawings, discounts and giveaways, according to Bush.

Bush is anticipating a good turnout for the annual event.

“There are so many more businesses that are going to be involved this year,” Bush said. “This will be the third year that I have done it, and it was busier last year than the year before.”

Many stores will have sales on items they specialize in.

Bush will have her scarfs and hats marked down.

“Those will be three dollars,” she said. “That will be my big thing of the day. My sale will be all day long.”

Bush said the event will be an opportunity for people to see what downtown Fort Dodge has to offer.

“Every time we do an event like this I get someone who says they have never been to some of these other stores that are fairly new,” Bush said. “So it just kind of gets people walking and going to these shops that maybe, normally they wouldn’t come to.”

“There are so many different things in Fort Dodge right now,” Bush said. “We just try what we can to get people downtown.”

Bush also said a lot of the items for sale are unique.

“Some of the chains will have a lot of the same things, whereas here, a lot of our merchandise is just singles of things, or two or three of one thing,” Bush said. “So you’re not going to have the same thing everyone else has. That’s kind of a draw for some of these smaller stores.”

Mary Kay Daniel, interior designer and manager of Mary Kay’s Gifts and Home Decor, said this will be the first year that Shopping on Central is its own event.

In the past Shopping on Central was linked with Holiday on Central, she said.

“This year Shopping on Central is actually coordinated with the Black Wednesday that most of the downtown businesses have been a part of in the past,” Daniel said.

Daniel said the entire week will be busy.

“I am actually doing a week-long sale because Wednesday is Black Wednesday and then there is Black Friday, which has definitely picked up steam in the last couple of years,” Daniel said.

Daniel said the holiday shopping season has come fast.

“With the weather being so warm out, I don’t think people have thought about Christmas shopping just yet,” Daniel said. “So I have a feeling that next week will be even bigger than in the past.”

“I know businesses that I have talked to have worked really hard to fill their shelves and get their stores ready for the holidays and for next week,” Daniel said. “I am looking forward to having a successful week, and I think next week kind of kicks off the holiday shopping season.”

Shopping on Central

Who: Local retailers

What: Shopping on Central/Black Wednesday

When: Nov. 23 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Participating retailers

2be Trendy & Baby Barn

Candies & More

Faith Works

Katy Lynn Boutique

Lily Grace on Central

Mary Kay’s Gifts & Home Decor

Real Deals on Home Decor

Shiny Top Brewing

Spice Shack

Studio Fusion

Tillies Quilts

Tin Shed

Xessorize