Downtown Janesville Businesses Open Their Doors This Weekend For The Third Annual Shop The Rock Holiday Edition 

Make Janesville's historic downtown a day trip destination this weekend for the Shop the Rock Holiday Edition. The event now in its' third year began as a collective response from small businesses to the COVID-19 pandemic. Working from home, quarantining, events cancelled, the expansion of online shopping all took their toll on downtown Janesville's restaurants and boutiques. Not deterred, A group of downtown business owners got together to create Shop The Rock. The effort has successfully raised brand awareness for local retail and lured people back to Janesville's downtown says Betsy Pelsue, this year's Chairperson of Shop the Rock. Pelsue owns downtown interior design studio and shop, Inspired Spaces. Her store is one of 15 participating in the two day event. 

Previous Shop The Rock features for attendees included a punch sheet and a drawing for a gift basket. Pelsue says the event's organizers realized that though these ideas were popular ultimately it didn't encourage attendees to come back downtown to shop.  This year's Shop the Rock feature is more of a shopping spree. "We (businesses) all donated a 25 gift card, the winner of a drawing gets $300 shopping spree," says Pelsue. Inspired Spaces is offering 20% off on fragrances and candles. There is also a trunk show featuring jewelry from fashion design jeweler Julie Vos.

At heart, Shop the Rock is the local economy. And as the Pelsue and fellow businesses have adopted the theme "Skip The Ship and Shop the Rock," the message is simple and clarion, stay offline and support your downtown stores and restaurants.

DETAILS:

Shop The Rock Holiday Edition takes place across downtown Janesville (Milwaukee Street and Main Street) this Friday from 11 AM to 5 PM, Saturday. 10 AM to 4 PM.

Need a map? Pick one up at Janesville Downtown Inc,, 20 S. Main St. Suite 11. For the Shop The Rock guide visit the Janesville Convention and Visitors Bureau, located at 20 S Main St, Unit 17.

Plan on staying in downtown for the weekend? Betsy Pelsue recommends the the Cobblestone. in the heart of main downtown covenient to everything Rock the Shop and more.