Black Friday is out: Indie shopping is in, and Plaid Friday is November 23.

NABC is a founding member of New Albany First, which is our city’s independent business association (IBA). It is the New Albany version of the Louisville Independent Business Alliance (LIBA), which encourages you to Keep Louisville Weird), and is dedicated to encouraging the public to support independently owned, small local businesses.

IBAs accomplish this through three primary focus areas:

1. Public education about the greater overall value local independents often can provide (even when they are not the cheapest) as well as the vital economic, social and cultural role independent businesses play in the community.

2. Facilitating cooperative promotion, advertising, purchasing, sharing of skills and resources and other activities to help local businesses gain economies of scale and compete more effectively.

3. Creating a strong and uncompromised voice to speak for local independents in the local government and media while engaging citizens in guiding the future of their community through democratic action.

NABC and our brethren sink or swim as locally oriented independents, and many of us have pledged support via New Albany First. Happily, the approaching holiday season provides a perfect opportunity to put principles into action.

We all know that “Black Friday” (November 23) is the biggest sales day of the year for big boxes and multinational chain stores -- the ones where the money flees town for corporate headquarters worldwide. In response to media hype and saturation advertising, which steer so much trade to the country's biggest, richest and largest companies on “Black Friday,” the American Independent Business Alliance (AMIBA), of which New Albany First is a member, promotes Shift Your Shopping, of which Plaid (as opposed to Black) Friday is a component.

Instead of Black Friday it’s PLAID FRIDAY! Shift Your Shopping and wear plaid as you shop on Friday to remind yourself and others to make the 10% Shift. The 10% Shift encourages you to shift 10% of your holiday purchases from non-local businesses to Local Independents (also called indies or locally owned and independent businesses). Making the shift to local independents is one way we can build sustainable economies and create jobs in our local community.

It’s simple. You're not being asked to go cold turkey -- just allocate a percentage to independent local businesses, and learn what they can do for you. New Albany First can help locate indies, and another good idea is to follow the "buy local" answer woman, Kate Caufield, whose blog is devoted precisely to this topic: New Albany 365. Local independent business thank you for your support.

Note: Plaid Friday is part of NABC's annual slate of activities around Thanksgiving. For more details, go here.

Southern Indiana Craft Beer Showcase at Indiefest, September 22.

Here's the first call for the Southern Indiana Craft Beer Showcase, which is what I'm calling NABC's contribution to New Albany's inaugural Indiefest on Saturday, September 22. Indiefest will feature local artists, food, exhibitors and music throughout the day.

It's also NABC's contribution to Louisville Craft Beer Week. The fundamental idea is to feature (mostly) Southern Indiana craft beers, as well as craft ciders, meads and wines.

It will be a "cash bar" event, with full pours and samples available. I've posted Indiefest information separately, accessible here.

Southern Indiana Craft Beer Showcase … with Special Guests: Wine, Cider and Mead

A Louisville Craft Beer Week event, held concurrently with the New Albany Indiefest

Saturday, September 22
2:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
400 block of Bank Street (opposite Bank Street Brewhouse)

BREWERIES
Big Woods Brewing Company (Nashville)
Cutters Brewing Company (Bloomington)
Great Crescent Brewery (Aurora)
New Albanian Brewing Company (New Albany)
Power House Brewing Company (Columbus IN)

CIDERIES
Thomas Family Winery (Madison; perhaps wines, too)

MEADERIES
New Day Meadery (Indianapolis; ciders, too)

WHOLESALERS
Starlight Distributing (featuring English ciders)

WINERIES
Grateful Goat (Palmyra)
River City Winery (New Albany)

Also, I am hoping to arrange a reservation-only bourbon tasting with Crossroad Vintners. If this happens, it will be held at Bank Street Brewhouse at the north patio/seating area. As always, stay tuned.

Black is out, plaid is in.

NABC is a founding member of New Albany First, which is our city’s new independent business association (IBA). It is the New Albany version of the Louisville Independent Business Alliance (LIBA), which encourages you to Keep Louisville Weird), and is dedicated to encouraging the public to support independently owned, small local businesses.

IBAs accomplish this through three primary focus areas:

1. Public education about the greater overall value local independents often can provide (even when they are not the cheapest) as well as the vital economic, social and cultural role independent businesses play in the community.

2. Facilitating cooperative promotion, advertising, purchasing, sharing of skills and resources and other activities to help local businesses gain economies of scale and compete more effectively.

3. Creating a strong and uncompromised voice to speak for local independents in the local government and media while engaging citizens in guiding the future of their community through democratic action.

Obviously, NABC sinks or swims by being independent and locally oriented, and we have pledged support by joining New Albany First. Happily, the approaching holiday season provides a perfect opportunity to put principles into action.

We all know that “Black Friday” (Nov 25) is the biggest sales day of the year for big boxes and multinational chain stores -- the ones where the money leaves town for corporate headquarters worldwide.

In response to the media hype and saturation advertising that steer so much trade to the country's biggest, richest and largest companies on “Black Friday,” the American Independent Business Alliance (AMIBA), of which New Albany First is a member, promotes the idea of America Unchained, which commences the weekend before Thanksgiving). Meanwhile, an initiative arising in Oakland CA called Plaid (not black) Friday is beginning to pop up in communities across the nation.

NABC aims to join in the fun on Plaid Friday this year. First and foremost, we remind you of the intent:

Instead of Black Friday it’s PLAID FRIDAY! Shift Your Shopping and wear plaid as you shop on Friday to remind yourself and others to make the 10% Shift. The 10% Shift encourages you to shift 10% of your holiday purchases from non-local businesses to Local Independents (also called indies or locally owned and independent businesses). Making the shift to local independents is one way we can build sustainable economies and create jobs in our local community.

It’s simple, and you’re not being asked to go cold turkey -- just allocate a percentage to independent local businesses, and learn what they can do for you. Here at NABC, we’re discussing what we might do on Plaid Friday beyond dressing up for the day. I have a few ideas, so stay tuned for more.