The Downtown Fergus Business Improvement Area (BIA) is hosting an event for the entire month of February called "Show Your Love" to help promote local businesses.
Melinda Croft, co-owner of One and Only Handmade Marketplace, who’s also on the Fergus BIA committee, said the event is to try to get people out and about.
“It started because we received an anonymous donation from a local person in the community, who wanted to give the BIA some funds to do something to help promote downtown businesses, but also just something that would be uplifting and [that] we could bring to the community,” Croft said.
Croft said the Fergus BIA has created eight large red hearts and have placed them in eight locations downtown.
She said the BIA are encouraging people to find the eight hearts, take pictures with them, then post them to their social media accounts, and then tag @fergusontario, #showyourlove, #location (where the photo was taken, like #ferguslibrary).
Croft said the BIA decided it would be great to do something for the entire month of February, since there is only Valentine’s Day in the month.
“We really wanted it to be more than one day, which is focused a little bit more traditionally around a romantic holiday, when we really thought, you know, the community right now, we need love for everyone, so, family, friends, the community, yourself, so, that’s really where the show your love was created,” Croft said.
Croft said they are making the event into a contest by doing a draw with those that actually post photos with the hearts.
There are three gift baskets to be won and each basket contains $100 gift certificate for dinner for two at a local downtown Fergus restaurant (TapaVino, Gente, Breadalbane), a gift basket from Joanie’s Crafts and Gifts, as well as, gift certificates from many local shops.
Those local shops that are providing gift certificates within the prize baskets are: One and Only Handmade Marketplace, Jaboli Boutique, The Bookery, Sensational You, The Grape House, Fraberts Fresh Food, I Love Chocolate, and String Theory.
For more information on the event and contest rules, click here.
Melinda Croft, co-owner of One and Only Handmade Marketplace: