Looking to shop local this holiday season? Northfield and Shelburne Falls have you covered! Each community has launched its own Holiday Passport, a program that encourages residents and visitors to get to know their business community, shop local, and have fun during the holiday season. The program directly responds to businesses' feedback to increase foot traffic. Between the two communities, over $2,000 in prizes are up for grabs for participants who visit local businesses between now and December 31, 2025. Details about the two Passports can be found at moretofranklincounty.com/passport.
To participate, pick up a Passport at any participating business or organization in Northfield or Shelburne Falls. Each time you visit a local business, you will receive a sticker to add to your Passport. Once your Passport is filled out, you can drop it off at a participating business or submit a photo of it online for a chance to win prizes. No purchase is necessary to join in the fun; however, participants are encouraged to browse and make purchases while they explore. The Passports feature a map to help navigate between businesses, with more details available on the program’s webpage.
Each community has its own, separate Passport program, featuring 15 locations in Northfield and 22 in Shelburne Falls. Any customer-facing business looking to participate in the program was welcome to join. The rules are the same for both communities: participants who visit at least half of the locations will have a chance to win a small prize basket, while those who visit all of the locations will be entered to win a large prize basket.
“This program truly highlights the diversity of local businesses these two stellar communities have to offer: galleries, farms, restaurants, breweries, wineries, and retail businesses are all participating,” said Downtown District Coordinator Christian LaPlante. “I can’t wait for people to get to meet the fantastic owners and employees of these businesses while they’re filling out their passports. And when they make some purchases along the way, that’s just the cherry on top.”
Prizes include gift certificates, merchandise, treats, and services from local businesses. Northfield's top prize is a gift basket valued at over $450, featuring two trail passes to Northfield Mountain, snacks from Mim's Market, and gift certificates to local spots like the Brewery at Four Star Farms and Fiddleheads Gallery. Shelburne Falls' top prize is a $1,000 gift basket with a dozen gift certificates and items like goodies from Mo's Fudge Factor. The winners of the gift baskets will be randomly selected on January 14th. For the complete list of prizes, visit moretofranklincounty.com/passport.
Local business leaders are excited about the program and its ability to drive foot traffic during the critical revenue-generating holiday season.
“This passport is a wonderful opportunity for folks to get to know the businesses in their neighborhoods,” said Leslie Cameron of Cameron’s Winery and The Backroom Brewing Company in Northfield.
“When community comes together magic happens,” said Joy Sullivan of ENJOY. Boutique in Shelburne Falls.
“The Holiday Passport is a simple, fun way for people to explore the village, support the businesses that anchor our downtown, and rediscover what makes this village so special,” said Cate Chadwick, Shelburne Falls Steering Committee Coordinator. “Every sticker represents a real visit, a real conversation, and real support for our local economy. We’re thrilled to join Northfield in launching a program that celebrates our small businesses and the people who make them shine.”
“Shopping local has never mattered more. Our small businesses rely on the holiday season to carry them through the slower months, and this year, especially, they’re feeling the squeeze. For every $100 spent locally, about $68 stays right here in our community, compared to less than $15 when we shop online, so programs like this Holiday Passport program help keep that ripple effect close to home,” said Jessye Deane, Executive Director of the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce and Regional Tourism Council. “And let’s be honest: we all love prizes. That little extra nudge turns ‘I should shop local’ into ‘Let’s hit every stop on the map,’ which translates directly into foot traffic. This program is 100% community-driven; businesses told us they needed help getting more people through their doors, and this delivers- every sticker is a visit, every visit is a conversation, and every conversation is a chance to make a sale or earn a loyal customer. With more than $2,000 in prizes on the line, folks are excited to participate—but the real winners are our local businesses.”
The Holiday Passport program, organized by the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce, is an initiative of the Northfield Downtown Working Group and the Shelburne Falls Steering Committee, groups composed of business owners, employees, volunteers, nonprofit leaders, and municipal officials. Working alongside Downtown District Coordinator Christian LaPlante, the two groups are in the midst of the Rural Downtown Revitalization Project, a year-long pilot program designed to strengthen local economies in Shelburne Falls, Northfield Center, and Turners Falls. Turners Falls is currently working on boosting its digital “shop local” advertising campaign this holiday season.
The Rural Downtown Revitalization project builds on a 2023–2024 study by the BSC Group, which highlighted the importance of improved coordination and administrative capacity to support rural downtowns. LaPlante was hired in July to lead the project as the Downtown District Coordinator for each participating community. The Holiday Passport is just one example of how the project is coordinating downtown stakeholders, supporting local businesses, and designing responsive community programming.