After the mad rush on Black Friday, Occoquan merchants like Salt & Pepper Books owner Christine Myskowski want shoppers to remember the small business community in Occoquan on Small Business Saturday on Nov. 24. 

Occoquan merchants can't compete with Black Friday sales, but Myskowski thinks that's a good thing. 

"This is a unique town and we can’t compete with those kinds of bargain deals that people get on Black Friday, because these are such small shops," she said. "I think people come here for a different reason. People are always more relaxed when they get here.”

Myskowski doesn't rely as much on holiday traffic now that her business is more established. 

"But holidays are a bump up, that's for sure," she said. Small Business Saturday usually also sees a spike in customer traffic. 

This holiday season, Myskowski says cookbooks such as the Trader Joe's cookbook, and signed copies of Taste of Virginia Tech and Polish Classic Recipes, will likely fly off the shelves. Also popular is the Corkcicle, an "icicle" with a cork top, which keeps wine bottles chilled.