A variety of area businesses participated in Small Business Saturday this past weekend, and at least one Farmville enterprise used the occasion to hold its grand opening.

As stated at AmericanExpress.com, “Small Business Saturday is a day dedicated to supporting small businesses and communities across the country. Founded by American Express in 2010, this day is celebrated each year on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.”

To view more photos of the event, click here.

Among the area businesses recognizing the day was Hotel Weyanoke. The hotel welcomed people to its lobby from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. to enjoy several small business “pop-ups.” This involved area small businesspersons and owners setting up shop in the hotel lobby with a table that included some of their business’s products and advertised services for sale.

A Hotel Weyanoke sign explaining the event encouraged people to “get your holiday shopping in, while supporting your community!”

Holding its grand opening Saturday at 1 Mill St. was HandMade, Inc., a business co-owned by Kate Pickett Eggleston and Pat Thorne that sells gifts like jewelry, hand-turned woodworking, pottery, children’s clothing art and home decor handmade by 34 area artists and craftspeople. This business is also a “pop-up” of sorts as it will have weekend operating hours until Dec. 22, at which time it will close, with plans for it to pop up again in the spring in a new Farmville location with new handmade wares.

Though it was a rainy day Saturday, HandMade drew approximately 50 people to its ribbon-cutting just after 10 a.m., with shoppers coming through steadily until closing time at 7 p.m., Eggleston said.