Savage Mill Bucks Program Launched

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — The Savage Mill Bucks program has been rolled out for the summer that offers discounts for residents and visitors who shop at the more than 70 small businesses located at Savage Mill.

The Savage Mill Bucks program will run from June 2025 through August 2025. Savage Mill Bucks can be picked up at two locations in Howard County: Artcraft at Savage Mill or the Howard County Welcome Center in Ellicott City. Artcraft is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Howard County Welcome Center is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Savage Mill Bucks will be available to Howard County residents and visitors while supplies last.

The program was introduced at Savage Mill by Howard County Executive Calvin Ball by the Winer family, owners of the Savage Mill for the past 75 years.

“In recent years, major renovations have embraced Savage Mill’s industrial heritage while giving the campus a modern feel, enhancing visitor and resident experiences alike,” Ball said during a news conference. “Through strong partnerships with Visit Howard County, the Economic Development Authority and institutions like Savage Mill, we’re making meaningful progress to support our small business ecosystem. This program directly supports the entrepreneurs and small business owners who have taken the courageous leap to start a business and contribute to our local economy.”

Howard County has invested $10,000 in the program, which will support approximately 1,000 small business vouchers that can be spent at small businesses and shops in Savage Mill. The program will promote shopping at local businesses and encourage tourism to Historic Savage through a small business voucher program made available to residents and visitors.

“Supporting small businesses isn’t just something we believe in; it’s woven into the identity of today’s Savage Mill. Every space here is home to a small, independently owned business and initiatives like Savage Mill Bucks help us expand our reach and introduce these businesses to new audiences who are eager for fresh experiences, local flavor and places that feel anything but ordinary," said Adam Winer, director of business relations at Savage Mill.

Amanda Hof, executive director of Visit Howard County, said that according to their tourism data, the average visitor spends $145 at Savage Mill in June.

"If each Buck distributed brings a visitor to the Mill, and that visitor spends even half of that average, consumers could spend over $72,000 at Savage Mill businesses through the BUCKS program," Hof said at the news conference.

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