Small Business Month
Summary
Small Business Month is a recurring civic celebration in the City of Fairfax, Virginia, in which the Mayor issues a formal proclamation honoring local small businesses and encouraging residents and visitors to shop and dine locally. The celebration is organized through a partnership among Fairfax City Economic Development, the Central Fairfax Chamber of Commerce, and the Old Town Fairfax Business Association. On May 13, 2025, Mayor Catherine Reed presented a spring proclamation acknowledging April 28 – May 31, 2025 as Small Business Month to the Fairfax City Economic Development Office and Fairfax City Small Businesses. A separate, newly introduced "Holiday Small Business Month" was proclaimed on November 18, 2025, covering November 28 – December 22, 2025, and featured a month-long initiative including a buy-one-get-one / 40% bonus card offer ($40 for every $100 spent). On May 12, 2026, the Mayor again proclaimed the month of May 2026 as Fairfax City Small Business Month, this time to the Central Fairfax Chamber of Commerce and Old Town Fairfax Business Association, with month-long programming, weekly donation opportunities at participating businesses, and promotion via shopffxcity.com. The proclamations consistently cite national statistics on small businesses' economic contributions and emphasize the local multiplier effect of spending at small businesses (approximately two-thirds of every dollar staying in the local economy).
Recent updates
[3b] Proclamation presented to the Central Fairfax Chamber of Commerce and Old Town Fairfax Business Association acknowledging May as Small Business Month in the City of Fairfax.
[3d] Proclamation presented by the Mayor to the Fairfax City Economic Development Office and Fairfax City Small Businesses.
What members have said
Mayor Reed personally presented all recorded proclamations: the spring 2025 Small Business Month proclamation (May 13, 2025), the inaugural Holiday Small Business Month proclamation (November 18, 2025), and the May 2026 Small Business Month proclamation (May 12, 2026). At the November 2025 event she called the Holiday Small Business Month iteration 'new this year' and expressed strong personal affinity for the city's small businesses, stating she 'fell in love with this city because of its small businesses.'
Positions as recorded in meeting minutes; votes without recorded comment aren’t summarized.
Full history
- May 13, 2025City Council · item 3d
[3d] Proclamation presented by the Mayor to the Fairfax City Economic Development Office and Fairfax City Small Businesses.
- May 12, 2026City Council · item 3b
[3b] Proclamation presented to the Central Fairfax Chamber of Commerce and Old Town Fairfax Business Association acknowledging May as Small Business Month in the City of Fairfax.