Virginia-Highland Businesses Plan Thursday Shopping Specials

Shopping locally has a whole new meaning this year in Virginia-Highland.

Every Thursday in December, 36 businesses in the north-end of Virginia-Highland will offer specials and promotions for shopping in the neighborhood.

owner Jessica Berinato and owner Danielle Burke organized the event — Holidays in Virginia-Highland — to encourage shoppers to visit local stores and have fun buying gifts for family and friends.

“We just have so many awesome places to shop in the Highlands,” Burke said. “It’s just reminding people that we're all here.”

Berinato said the idea came from an annual holiday shopping event in Buckhead, where Urban Cottage was located for 10 years before the store moved to Virginia-Highland four years ago.

“I just thought, let's try it this year and see if we can help everybody in the neighborhood,” Berinato, a Virginia-Highland resident, said.

Urban Cottage and Activewear Atlanta will feature a local artist truck show on Thursdays in December and offer food and drinks to shoppers.

Burke, also a Virginia-Highland resident, said she invisions these events as a way for shoppers to avoid "frantic mall mayhem." She also said she sees this as an opportunity to "give back to great customers."

"If you do make an evening of it, it’s totally worth it," Burke said. "I believe in this neighborhood. I love this neighborhood. I just want everybody else in Atlanta to understand how wonderful it is."

Participating businesses include , , , , , , , , , Green Pomegranate, , , , , , 310 Rosemont, , , , Cacao, Rollick, , , , , , , , Honeybutter, , , Paolo's Gelato, Goin’ Coastal, and .

For more information, contact Berinato at or Burke at .