With a goal of bringing attention to the area’s small businesses, an annual event was organized by the cities of Texarkana, Texas and Arkansas with the help of representatives from the Texarkana USA Chamber of Commerce, Main Street Texarkana, Communities United, Northeast Texas Small Business Development Center, and the Greater Texarkana Young Professionals. Stuff Your Stockings with Small Businesses was a shop-small scavenger hunt that took place November 17 through December 1. 

To participate in the scavenger hunt, citizens had to check the organization’s Facebook page for hints on participating businesses, find the hidden stocking at the business, and scan the attached QR code to win prizes. Most of the small businesses that participated in the scavenger hunt donated items or gift cards from their stores to be given away as prizes.

Brooke Stone, the Communications Manager for Texarkana, Texas, helped organize and manage the scavenger hunt. “To support small businesses means a great deal to me and means a great deal to all of these other people who are a part of this, and we just want to see our small businesses thrive and be successful,” said Stone. The goal of the scavenger hunt was to bring attention, awareness, and new customers to Texarkana small businesses. “When you buy from a local business, you’re supporting that person and their family and that money is going right back into our economy here in Texarkana,” said Stone.

Two small businesses that participated in the scavenger hunt were The Village and Taste and See. Peggy Speer, owner of The Village, said she thought it was a good idea and thought “maybe it will pique people’s interest so they will come in.” She noticed several new people come into her store because of the scavenger hunt. Owner of Taste and See, Denay Maheu, thought that even though this year’s stockings brought new people in, last year’s scavenger hunt made more of a stir and drew in more families. She thought the mini elf, last year’s hidden item, acted as a draw for children in particular and played into the game aspect of the scavenger hunt. “Honestly we had more business last year with the little elf. We named her Ella, and we had little kids asking where she was even after we took her down,” Maheu said. Texarkana’s next annual small business scavenger hunt will take place in the weeks surrounding Small Business Saturday set for November 30, 2024.