Hey, y’all. It’s Amie.

Hey friends—just a heads-up, we won’t have a Thursday or Friday newsletter this week. We’ll pick right back up on Monday, Dec. 1, after our Thanksgiving holiday break. (It’s reeeeally nice to work for a company that gives us quality time off to spend with our families, and I’m super thankful for that.)

Because of our break, I wanted to make sure you had access to our lead story a little early. That way, you can properly plan your weekend to score the best deals possible. I know I sure will be. Enjoy your special time, and remember, I’m so glad you’re here.

A sign thanking shoppers for buying locally. (Tim Mossholder/Unsplash)

By Aila Boyd

Here’s what you need to know: Celebrate the small businesses that make Virginia’s local economy thrive by participating in Small Business Saturday on Nov. 29.

Our top picks:

• Shop Small for the Holidays serves as the official kick-off to the holiday season in Page County. The event features shopping at local stores and dining at local restaurants all throughout the county. The effort the champion small businesses will extend to Dec. 21, with shoppers who make a local purchase being entered into a drawing to receive one of three local shopping sprees.

• Every Saturday after Thanksgiving, Uptown Martinsville comes alive as locals flock to the shops that line the streets in search of sales and drawings. Some local restaurants even get in on the fun by offering specials and promotions.

• Given that the ViBe District in Virginia Beach is almost exclusively made up of small, locally owned and operated businesses, the 10th Annual Small Business Saturday event is a big deal in the district. In fact, it’s the biggest celebration of small businesses in Hampton Roads, with roughly 75 businesses participating along the 1.5-mile stretch of the district.

Ready to shop till you drop? We’ve got what you need to know about deals throughout the commonwealth at the link below.

New Thanksgiving Day floats are displayed during a press preview at Macy’s Parade Studio in Moonachie, NJ, Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Tune in to NBC at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 27, to enjoy one of the longest-standing televised traditions—the 99th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

This year, 34 balloons will fly high above 34th Street, with new appearances by Buzz Lightyear, Mario, and more. 

A total of 26 celebrity guests will perform amidst the parade’s lineup of 28 floats, complete with 11 marching bands, nine performance groups, 14 specialty units, and more.

For more on the special holiday tradition, click on the link below.

With the blessing of Chief Powhatan and the governor of Virginia, Pocahontas married colonist John Rolfe in April 1614.

In 1616, the couple—along with infant, Thomas Rolfe—sailed for England in an effort to “encourage financial support for the colony,” according to the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation. Pocahontas attended the Twelfth Night masque, where she met King James and Queen Ann.

As the Rolfes prepared to return to Virginia in spring 1617, Pocahontas fell ill and passed away. She is buried at St. George’s Church in Gravesend, England.

While her husband sailed back to Virginia, Pocahontas’ two-year-old son remained in England. Thomas was raised by John’s relatives, and later returned to Virginia around age 20.

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