Ways to #ShopSmall This Holiday Season in Downtown Wilmington DE

We rely on our local businesses to create thriving neighborhoods for our residents and visitors every day. We need to help our small businesses get through this time of crisis. Support these small businesses, and their staff, by shopping local not just this holiday season, but every day.

Ways to #ShopSmall in Downtown Wilmington DE:

• Dine Downtown Deal - Support Downtown Wilmington DE eateries and you’ll get rewarded! Dine-in or take out 5x between 10/1/20 and 12/31/20, text your receipts to 302-502-6003, and you’ll receive a gift card in the amount of 20% of the total meals purchased (before tip) to the business of your choice in the Wilmington Downtown Business Improvement District (BID)!

• Free Holiday Shipping - Several Downtown Wilmington DE businesses are offering FREE shipping for all online purchases made through the end of the year. Simply shop online between 11/1/20 and 12/31/20 at participating businesses, and they’ll ship your purchases anywhere within the United States for free!

• I Made an Impact Contest - Enter to win awesome local prizes through Wilmington Made’s I Mad an Impact Contest! Simply text your receipt to 302-433-6078 from any participating business or restaurant dated between 11/28/20 and 12/24/20 for your chance to win!

• You can also support your favorite small businesses by purchasing a gift card, buying the staff a round, making a donation, following them on social media, spreading the word about their offers, and posting a positive review.

It is even easier to visit Downtown Wilmington this month and shop small with the City’s free holiday metered parking program and free Market Street valet both in effect through January 2nd, 2021.

Every small purchase makes a big difference - now more than ever!

Where to Park in Downtown Wilmington DE

If you’ve ever questioned where to park in Downtown Wilmington DE, look no further! There are plenty of parking options to accommodate residents and visitors, and with added Curbside valet options taking a trip Downtown has never been easier!

This public parking map is complete with maximum daily rates*, garage, and open lot locations as well as information on metered parking so your next trip into Wilmington, DE is easy breezy. Special thanks to Colonial Parking, Wilmington Parking Authority, SP+, Downtown Visions, and The City of Wilmington, DE for compiling this information.

The Wilmington Parking Authority lot at 8th & Orange Streets is free and open to the public if you enter after 6 pm during the week and all day on the weekends. Del-Tech is also providing free parking to support Lower Market Street in Lot 4 on the Southwest Corner of 2nd & Shipley Streets through June 30, 2021. Please be advised that overnight parking in the Del-Tech lot is not permitted.

Additionally, you can take advantage of FREE valet parking during Curbside Wilmington on Friday and Saturday nights through March 2021. The valet station will be centrally located at the corner of 7th & Market Streets.

To accommodate for Curbside Wilmington, a number of metered parking spots on Market Street have been converted for outdoor dining. However, downtown residents can temporarily park-off street for free thanks to the generosity of Jed Hatfield, President of Colonial Parking, Inc. Residents should contact Colonial Parking at 302-651-3600 for more information about parking availabilities. SP+ garages are also offering discounts for monthly parkers if you contact Andrew Lane at alane@spplus.com or 484.995.6297.

The City of Wilmington’s holiday season parking meter policy will be in effect from Friday, November 27 through Saturday, January 2, 2021. To support holiday shopping during this period, from Noon to 6:00 p.m. each weekday, the City will not require payment at parking meters in the Downtown Business District (defined as the area bounded by 2nd Street to 12th Street, and by French Street to Washington Street) and in the Riverfront Business District. Official holidays such as Christmas Day (December 25) remain free all day. A two-hour parking limit will remain in effect, however. For more details and restrictions, click here.

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*Rates are subject to change without notice.

Downtown Visions Awarded Grant From Bank of America to Support Main Street Wilmington Program

Downtown Visions was recently awarded a grant from Bank of American to support the efforts of the nonprofit’s Main Street Wilmington program.

From its inception, Downtown Visions’ mission has been to help ignite business creation, enhance service delivery of businesses within the Downtown Business Improvement District (BID), and ensure the BID is aesthetically pleasing, clean, and safe at all times.

During 2020 as the City of Wilmington navigated the phased COVID-19 reopening process, DTV continued to guide the creation of small business support programs and offered services to help Downtown BID restaurants, retail shops, arts organizations, and businesses welcome back customers and clients in a safe, socially distant manner to once again thrive. 

The grant from Bank of America will be used to support DTV’s Main Street Wilmington Program, which provides the following services to the Downtown BID:

• Improve the façades and signage of businesses operating in Wilmington's Downtown BID and ensure authentic restorations of historic buildings by working with the City of Wilmington's Design Review and Preservation Commission and local historical nonprofits, such as the Delaware Historical Society

• Boost economic development of businesses operating in the Wilmington Downtown BID by providing COVID-19 focused marketing, event support, and event creation, such as Curbside Wilmington and the Dine Downtown Deal

• Continue with the visual transformation of Wilmington's Downtown BID to create a vibrant and visually pleasing shopping, dining, and living area through cleaning efforts

• Facilitate connections between civic officials, developers, and business owners to support strong economic growth and investment in the Downtown Business Improvement District.

This grant is part of Bank of America's philanthropic giving efforts in local communities. Awardees were selected for their commitment to addressing basic needs, medical response, and workforce development for individuals and families, in particular during the coronavirus pandemic; and Downtown Visions could not be more proud to receive this monetary support for Downtown Wilmington DE.

Support Downtown Visions This Giving Tuesday

Through our various initiatives ranging from Safety Ambassadors to Façade Improvement, Downtown Visions works to show the world what an amazing place Downtown Wilmington, Delaware is every day. Our mission is to create, manage, and promote a quality environment for people who live, work, and visit our thriving neighborhood.

During this unprecedented year, Downtown Visions remained committed to the Downtown Wilmington DE community and increased their efforts to help our small business owners get back to business.

• Our Cleaning and Safety Ambassadors are essential to the district and continued working 7 days a week from 6AM to 12AM throughout the pandemic. Our crews also provided immediate clean up after the civil unrest in June.

• Downtown Visions implemented new programming to encourage patrons to visit Downtown and support our small businesses, including Curbside Wilmington, Free Valet Parking, and the Dine Downtown Deal.

• Downtown Visionsalso aggregated relief and recovery resources for small business assistance and regularly shared this guidance with business owners.

We plan to continue our mission, but we need your help to maintain our growing community now more than ever before. Please consider donating to Downtown Visions this #GivingTuesday and support our efforts to preserve, progress, and promote Downtown Wilmington!

Downtown Visions also accepts donations via check. Our mailing address is:

Downtown Visions
PO BOX 2000
Wilmington, DE 19899

Every dollar you donate produces an $18 dollar return to the local economy. Downtown Visions is a 501 C (3) non-profit #51-0362299. All contributions are completely tax-deductible and qualify for community reinvestment.

Your contribution will assist in the restoration and improvement of downtown buildings through our many initiatives and earn permanent sponsor recognition. By supporting our Main Street Program, you’ll provide grants to new and existing businesses within the Business Improvement District, and fund community events throughout the year.

Your investment will bear dividends for years to come. We thank you in advance for your generosity this giving season!

Contact us for more ways to support Downtown Wilmington and contribute to our community projects.

FREE Holiday Shipping Offered From These Downtown Retailers

Shop small this holiday season and support your favorite Downtown Wilmington DE retailers! Several establishments are even offering FREE shipping for all online purchases made through the end of the year. Simply shop online at the following local businesses between 11/1/20 and 12/31/20, and they’ll ship your purchases anywhere within the United States for free:

• Al’s Sporting Goods

• A.R. Morris Jewelers

• LaFate Gallery

• Morgan’s of Delaware

• Spaceboy Clothing

Every small purchase makes a big difference!