11/24/2015 – Press Conference – Preparing for ‘Small Business Saturday’

November 24th 10 a.m. – Noon (Old Courthouse Museum steps – rain or shine):   Prepare for ‘Small Business Saturday’ and Local Shopping in New Castle: Debut of ‘Byway Bucks’ Shopping/Travel Incentives

U.S. Sen. Tom Carper, U.S. Small Business Administration officials, State of Delaware representatives, and local leaders will conduct a press conference and small business walking tour.  The event urges local holiday and year-round shopping, and marks the Old New Castle debut of ‘Byway Bucks’ Program.  The ‘Byways Bucks’ is a coupon voucher program offering special dining, shopping and admissions deals along Del.’s ‘Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway.’  The event will be anchored by opening remarks on the steps of the newly-minted First State National Historic Park’s New Castle courthouse  –  site of the fugitive slave trials, the transcripts of which informed the layout of the ‘Tubman Byway’s’ route  –  and feature tours of some of the Colonial-era town’s most idyllic shops as they gear up for the holiday shopping season.

The Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway is one of six designated Delaware byways in the state.  The Byways Bucks is a new program endorsed by the Harriet Tubman byway’s coalition and management committee as part of a cultural and economic promotional experience for small businesses along this particular byway.   Part of the overall Delaware Byways Program is to heighten intrinsic resources along or near the byway to promote eco-tourism, local Delaware and American  history, and other cultural events that benefit the travel and their individual experiences.  The Byways Bucks intends to promote the traveler or locals to the resources they have as part of an outreach and community involvement package.