iStock/MagdaTymczyj
An annual River Falls event promotes small businesses in the heart of winter.
River Falls, Wisconsin, is thriving—and much of that success is due to the efforts of area businesses and organizations that collaborate on events to draw customers into the city’s bustling core. It’s about community over competition, a quality that Mei Mei Abdouch, cofounder and board president of River Falls Business Leaders and owner of Mei Mei’s Cookies & Creamery, says is what makes the area’s small business community so special. “We really want everyone to thrive,” she says.
One mid-winter event has found its way into the hearts of many through a beloved February treat—chocolate. The River Falls Chocolate Crawl will return for a sixth year from noon to 4 p.m on February 7 with more than 30 businesses throughout town offering specials and hosting free samples from area chocolatiers White Pine Berry Farm and 3 Schweet Sisters. “Each location has a different chocolate or fudge. Nothing is duplicated,” Abdouch says.
The event seeks to draw customers at a time of year that can be difficult for local businesses, Abdouch says. And there’s nothing like the lure of chocolate to bring people out of hibernation.
Information and updates can be found on the River Falls Business Leaders Facebook page.
