ROCK SPRINGS – While holiday shoppers are in training for Black Friday, the city of Rock Springs is reminding residents about Small Business Saturday.

At Tuesday’s Rock Springs City Council meeting, the city, along with help from the Rock Springs Main Street/Urban Renewal Agency, proclaimed the Saturday after Thanksgiving as Small Business Saturday.

According to the United States Small Business Administration, there are currently 27.9 million small businesses in the United States. They represent 99.7 percent of American employer firms, create more than two-thirds of the new jobs and generate 46 percent of the private gross domestic product, as well as 54 percent of all US sales.

Small businesses employ over 55 percent of the working population in the United States. Also pointed out in the proclamation, 89 percent of consumers in the United States agree that small businesses contribute positively to the local community by supplying jobs and generating tax revenue.

Nationwide, 87 percent of consumers in the United States agree that small businesses are critical to the overall economic health of the United States while 93 percent of consumers in the United States agree that it is important for people to support the small businesses that they value in their community.

Acting Mayor Glennise Wendorf, sitting in for the absent Carl Demshar, said Rock Springs, and Wyoming, supports our local businesses that create jobs, boost our local economy and preserve our neighborhoods. She said the city also supports advocacy groups, as well as public and private organizations across the country who have endorsed the Saturday after Thanksgiving as Small Business Saturday.

Along with the proclamation, Rock Springs Main Street/URA Board member Kevin Harper gave a brief rundown all upcoming holiday events.

Go here for A listing of upcoming holiday events.

Holiday Parade

Also on Tuesday night, the Rock Springs City Council unanimously approved this year’s route for the 18th annual holiday parade. This year’s event will take place on Dec. 5 starting at 5:30 p.m.

The route will travel through historic downtown Rock Springs starting at the comer of C Street and Broadway.

The floats will travel down South Main turning right on E Street, left on Broadway and then under the underpass and onto M Street. From M Street the floats will make a left onto Pilot Butte, a left turn onto K Street, followed by a right turn onto North Front.

After traveling down North Front, the parade will end at the comer of Elk Street and North Front. The floats will then disperse into the Vase Funeral Home parking area or over the A Street viaduct.

The Rock Springs Chamber of Commerce will use this route from 2 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. They will be lining the participants up beginning at 3 p.m. at the top of C Street. The council also approved the use of a police escort for the parade beginning at 5 p.m.

At the end of the Holiday Lighted Parade, Santa will continue to the Christmas in the Park event at Bunning Park.