Taking part of Small Business Saturday were local vendors who set up shop at the Ronan Community Center.

Deanna Ponton, a co-organizer, said this is the first time for the event.

“If it goes well, we’d like to make it an annual event,” she said.

Eighteen vendors signed up to participate with the goal to get their small business names out to the public, during a time in the year when they attend bazaars and craft shows to sell their products.

Ponton explained that 16 out of the 18 vendors that signed up had a common goal to get their business names out to the public.

“Because we do (the businesses) out of our homes… We thought to get everybody together.”

Consumers that spend money with local businesses “goes a long way” compared to spending at larger corporations, Ponton said.

“It’s going to make a big difference in my life, it’s going to keep me afloat.”

Organizers said that they came out even with renting the community center, charging vendors $25 each.

“We didn’t want to make money off the tables,” Ponton said.

Sharing that some of the vendors are active in search and rescue efforts, others are teachers and some are students, “a lot of us do different stuff” with the community, further igniting the emphasis on shopping local, she said.