Small Business Month
Summary
Small Business Month is a recurring ceremonial and programmatic initiative in the City of Fairfax, Virginia, in which the Mayor issues a formal proclamation recognizing the contributions of local small businesses and encouraging residents and visitors to shop and dine locally. The City has issued related proclamations on at least three occasions: on May 13, 2025, the Mayor proclaimed April 28–May 31, 2025 as Small Business Month, presenting the proclamation to the Fairfax City Economic Development Office and Fairfax City Small Businesses. On November 18, 2025, Mayor Catherine Reed proclaimed November 28–December 22, 2025 as Fairfax City Holiday Small Business Month — described in transcript excerpts as a new, month-long iteration featuring restaurants, retailers, and service providers, anchored by a buy-one-get-one / 40%-bonus-card offer through Economic Development. On May 12, 2026, the Mayor proclaimed May 2026 as Fairfax City Small Business Month, presenting the proclamation to the Central Fairfax Chamber of Commerce and the Old Town Fairfax Business Association; that initiative featured month-long programming, weekly donation opportunities at participating businesses, and a dedicated website (shopffxcity.com). The effort is consistently a partnership among Fairfax City Economic Development, the Central Fairfax Chamber of Commerce, and the Old Town Fairfax Business Association.
What members have said
Mayor Reed personally presented all recorded proclamations. At the November 2025 Holiday Small Business Month ceremony she stated that Fairfax City is 'very lucky to be the home base for many amazing small businesses' and that she 'fell in love with this city because of its small businesses.' She also read the full text of both the November 2025 and May 2026 proclamations from the dais.
Positions as recorded in meeting minutes; votes without recorded comment aren’t summarized.
Discussion time
Minutes of named discussion per transcribed meeting.
Full history
[3d] Proclamation presented by the Mayor to the Fairfax City Economic Development Office and Fairfax City Small Businesses.
[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.
Discussed alongside
Topics that come up in the same meetings.