Megan Navarro
BUDA — Residents and visitors alike will have a chance to support local businesses even more through Buda’s newest event, Buda Bingo: Shop Small Edition, that will be running through the month of November.
From Nov. 1-30, shoppers can pick up an official Buda Bingo card and earn stickers every time they make a purchase at the participating local businesses. On the card, completing rows, columns or diagonals will earn the individual entries into a prize drawing and those who complete a full blackout get even more chances to win big.
More than $3,000 worth of prizes have been donated from the businesses to go toward the event, explained Main Street Manager Garret Hope. The main prizes are gift cards and three baskets — valued around $700-$900 each — with donated items that are divided up between gift cards, merchandise, vouchers and more from the different businesses. Smaller prizes that people can win include tumblers, T-shirts, bandanas and coasters.
“The first winner, we draw it out of the hat. Whenever it's all done, they get to pick which prize basket they want. For instance, one of them has a full, I think it's like a waxing service, from Glow Laser and Beauty and one of them has more gift cards,” Hope explained. “It just depends on what the person looks at. If you see a basket that appeals to you more and there’s one basket you would like more, if you’re the top winner, you get the [pick].”
More than 40 local businesses across downtown and the surrounding areas of Buda are participating, ranging from boutiques, coffee shops and restaurants to salons, service providers and retail shops.
“We wanted to make sure that it was inclusive to all,” Hope said. “We made it to where it's very doable for the daytripper, as well, but also for those who are local or semi-local, whether you're in Austin or San Marcos, that want to come and play, as well, that you can do it throughout the entire month.”
The participating businesses include:
• Buda’s Red Door
• The Mercantile at Mill + Grain
• Hays County Outfitters
• Old Main Street Station
• Posie
• Southern Sky
• Antiques & More
• The Zoi Market
• Saint Montogren’s Florist
• Ellipsis Boutique
• Old Town Buda Antique Mall
• Triple Elevation/Modern Era
• Shaggy Dog Market
• Dos Olivos
• A Snowball’s Chance
• Big Daddy Jay’s Creole
• Taste on Main
• Brooklyn’s
• Abuelita’s Bakery
• Main Street Pizzeria
• Esther’s Tex Mex
• Gotji’s Kitchen
• Buda’s Soda Fountain
• Sunfield Hand Pies
• Bahama Buck’s Buda
• Proof Liquor & Deli
• Water 2 Wine Winery
• Willie’s Joint
• Nate’s
• Meridian
• Inspired Minds Art Center
• Glow Laser & Beauty
• Johnny G’s Barbershop
• Salon One 12
• The Massage Studio
• Two Blessed Barbershop
• City Limits Subaru
• Hampton Inn — Buda
• Comfort Suites — Buda
The goal of the event is to get people exploring what Buda has to offer in a fun way, while also supporting the local economy. Additionally, the event is leading up to Shop Small Saturday on Nov. 29 — the national day of celebrating small businesses. It’s Buda’s way of turning one day of shopping small and local into a full month of community engagement and celebration.
“Buda is known for supporting our local businesses and, right now, it's a real hard time just really in any area, but we wanted to do something else that was fun to bring foot traffic to these businesses,” explained Greater Buda Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Monica Davidson.
The way that Buda Bingo is designed, the collaborating entities — the city, Buda Economic Development Corporation, Greater Buda Chamber of Commerce and Discover Buda — could possibly extend the event to other parts of the year, such as in February for Valentine’s Day or during the summer months when shopping is at a decline, Davidson and Hope explained.
“Oftentimes, as a city entity, people work in silos and so, you may have some programs that the city is doing or something that the chamber is doing, to support their small businesses. I think this is a really great project or opportunity to support small business, but in a way that brings three entities together,” said John Costilla, assistant director of marketing & communications for Buda EDC. “From a collaborative perspective, I think this is the start of a lot of other types of projects, not only to help small business, but also help economic growth and prosperity in Buda, Texas.”
To participate, people can pick up their official Buda Bingo card from any of the participating businesses or from the chamber, Welcome Center or city hall. Once they have their card, shoppers can start going to the different participating locations and collect stickers to fill up the board.
Once a person has earned a Buda Bingo row(s) or blackout, they need to bring their completed card to one of the drop-off locations — chamber, Welcome Center or city hall — by Dec. 5 and their name will be entered to win one of the large prizes, based on the number of entries earned.
Learn more about the event at www.budaedc.com/budabingo.
