CAMBRIA COUNTY, Pa. (WJAC) — After working at a beachside clothing store, Kristy Hagan dreamed of bringing those beachy vibes back to her hometown of Johnstown.

So she did.

She opened Elevate Retail Company along Main Street in February of 2022.

"I just wanted to bring that feeling to Johnstown. A lot of times when people walk in the store, they're like, 'Oh, this reminds me of a beach store,'" she said.

In addition to elevating her passion and purpose, she's also elevating our area.

The store is boosting the local economy and bringing more shoppers to the region.

A lot of times, we say our mission is to elevate Johnstown," Hagan told 6 News.

Elevate is just one of 23 small business being featured in the Johnstown Shop Small Crawl.

It's the first event of its kind sponsored by The Lofts on Upper Main.

The crawl is being organized by You in Flood City -- started by a Johnstown sister duo -- behind the Zombie Crawl, Mardi Crawl, and other events.

We're all about bringing unique events to Johnstown. That's what we try to push. This is your hometown, and it's awesome. There's really cool things to do here," said Creative Director Tasha Adams.

You can purchase a $10 tote bag from Classic Elements or The Write Cup Coffee Shop.

For each participating business you visit -- between November 24th and December 16th -- you get a button.

  • Adorned Accessory & Gift Boutique
  • Blaine Boring Chocolates
  • Bougie Hair Care Essentials
  • Boxed Up Expressions
  • Classic Elements, Inc.
  • Corojo’s Cigar Shop
  • Elevate Retail Company
  • Fleurish
  • Fosbrink’s Four Seasons
  • GATHER at Flood City Cafe
  • Heritage Discovery Center
  • Lambcakes
  • Mill House & Co.
  • Millers Tuxedo
  • Morning Grind Coffee House
  • Peaced Together
  • Riek’s Country Store
  • SEADS Garden Center
  • The Atrique Gallery Market
  • The Divine Medium
  • The Honey Pot
  • The Write Cup Coffee Shop
  • Visit Johnstown

Depending on how many buttons you collect, you could be entered to win prizes.

"Being more involved in Johnstown and getting to cheer people on is incredible," Adams told 6 News.

Amy Bradley, President and CEO of the Cambria Regional Chamber of Commerce, says it's the perfect encouragement to shop small for all of your holiday shopping.

"There's an interesting study that came out from QuickBooks. It says that 65% of small business revenue came in from the holidays last year. They're obviously counting on people to shop small. For the consumer, that same study found that 59% of people found it less stressful to shop in person -- at a small business -- than trying to go online or go to a larger store. So, it's really a win win," she said.

Organizers hope the Johnstown Shop Small Crawl will elevate the lives and livelihoods of small business owners and the community as a whole.

"We want people to know about us. These events really just are good for marketing and good for exposure, so that people know we are Downtown," Hagan said.

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