KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Knoxville's Old City saw the biggest market of the year on Small Business Saturday.
Small Business Saturday happened on Nov. 26. The event was created by American Express to encourage communities to shop local the Saturday after Thanksgiving to kick off their holiday shopping and the holiday season.
The Old City hosts markets on the second Sunday of every month, so there was some concern when it came to vendors and guests showing up on a Saturday instead.
The Old City Market director, Amy Golem, said that the number of people that attended showed how much the community cared about the event.
"It was probably the busiest market we've had all season," Golem said. "And that really showed that the community really cared about their local vendors and wanting to support local on Saturday."
Golem said that while some had concerns about spending money due to high inflation, those who were looking to spend felt better about it since the money goes to that vendor and their business directly.
This year, the market saw 100 to 150 people an hour and it was busy from open to close.
Throughout the rest of the year, the market still has a few things planned, such as its Holiday Market.
"We're gonna have some fun things. A hot chocolate bar, Christmas music, maybe even a little cameo from the Grinch," Golem said. "But we're gonna make it a little holiday theme, which is a lot of fun."
The Holiday Market will be on Dec. 11 from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m.