Batavia MainStreet launches Shop Local event to support elementary schools Sept. 12-13

Posted August 26, 2026 12:03 am

By Kristen Desler, Batavia MainStreet

Bocaditos Cafe, which offers homemade South American food at 11 N. Batavia Ave., is one of 20 businesses participating in Shop Local. Support Our Schools! (April Duda Photography)

Batavia families will have a new way to support local schools and downtown businesses this fall when Batavia MainStreet launches its first Shop Local. Support Our Schools! community weekend Sept. 12-13.

The two-day event brings together more than 30 participating downtown Batavia businesses and six Batavia elementary school PTOs for a weekend focused on shopping local, supporting small businesses and giving back to local schools.

Participating schools include:

• JB Nelson Elementary

• Grace McWayne Elementary

• Louise White Elementary

• H.C. Storm Elementary

• Alice Gustafson Elementary

• Hoover Wood Elementary

During the event, participating businesses will donate a portion of qualifying sales to the participating PTOs. Families simply shop or dine at participating businesses during their regular business hours and mention their school or PTO at checkout. Batavia MainStreet will collect the donations and distribute the funds evenly among the six participating PTOs.

A Rooted Home at 237 W. Wilson St. is participating in Batavia MainStreet’s “Shop Local. Support Our Schools!” (April Duda Photography) April Duda Photography

“Shop Local. Support Our Schools! is an exciting opportunity to bring our schools and downtown businesses together in a way that benefits everyone,” said Kristen Desler, assistant director of Batavia MainStreet. “Our goal is to connect approximately 1,500 elementary school families with downtown Batavia businesses through a promotion that is mutually beneficial for both.”

“Families have an opportunity to discover new places to shop and dine while supporting their schools, and our downtown businesses have an opportunity to introduce themselves to a large new audience and build relationships with families who live right here in our community,” Desler said.

Families can participate by:

• Shopping or dining at participating downtown Batavia businesses Sept. 12-13.

• Mentioning their school/PTO at checkout so their purchase can be counted.

• Exploring multiple downtown businesses throughout the weekend.

Participating businesses will display a Shop Local. Support Our Schools! sign in their windows during the event so families can easily identify where to participate.

Explore downtown and win!

In addition to supporting local schools, families can make a day of exploring downtown with the event's School Spirit Passport and School Logo Hunt.

The School Spirit Passport includes an event map featuring participating businesses and gives families an easy way to explore downtown during the weekend.

Kids can also participate in a School Logo Hunt, searching for all six Batavia elementary school logos hidden inside participating businesses. Families who find the logos will receive an additional entry into the event raffle.

Families who make purchases at three participating businesses receive an entry for a chance to win $100 in Downtown Dollars.

The combination of the passport, logo hunt and raffle gives families a fun way to explore downtown while supporting local schools and businesses.

Families can find the full list of participating businesses, event details and the School Spirit Passport/event map at downtownbatavia.com/event/shop-local-support-our-schools/.

Families are encouraged to follow Batavia MainStreet on Facebook and Instagram for event updates, participating business highlights and additional information leading up to the event.

Also participating in Batavia MainStreet’s “Shop Local. Support Our Schools!” is Tabletop Game Shop’s location at 24 S. Van Buren St. only. (April Duda Photography) April Duda Photography

Supporting schools while supporting small businesses

Shop Local. Support Our Schools! was created to provide downtown businesses with one coordinated opportunity each year to give back to Batavia schools while encouraging families to make local shopping and dining part of their regular routine.

“Small businesses receive requests to support organizations and causes throughout the year, and we know they would love to be able to say yes to every one,” Desler said. “By bringing this effort together through MainStreet, we're creating one meaningful opportunity for downtown businesses to support our schools while also introducing their businesses to new customers. Most importantly, we hope families will discover businesses they love and continue supporting them long after this weekend is over.”

The event is also an opportunity for PTOs and community members to make purchases from participating downtown businesses for raffle prizes, gifts and supplies for upcoming school events.

A portion of those qualifying purchases will go back to the participating PTOs during the event.

Looking ahead

Batavia MainStreet hopes this first-year initiative will become an annual opportunity to connect local schools and downtown businesses.

If the inaugural Shop Local. Support Our Schools! event is successful, Batavia MainStreet plans to expand the initiative in future years to include Batavia middle school and high school booster organizations. The goal is to create a sustainable, community-wide program that gives local businesses one coordinated way to support Batavia students while encouraging families to shop and dine locally.

About Batavia MainStreet

Batavia MainStreet is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing downtown Batavia through volunteer-driven initiatives, business support, placemaking, and community events.