The early birds were out on Penn Avenue long before the Small Business Saturday crowds kicked into full stride.
Inside Taste of Crepes at 617 Penn Ave., Joanne Henny of Muhlenberg Township settled into the warm, cozy café with her daughter Michelle Pieller and 19-year-old granddaughter, Olivia — three generations carrying on their Black Friday weekend tradition.
Henny prefers West Reading’s independent shops to big-box stores.
“It’s the one-on-one,” she said. “They know their product. They don’t just brush you off. It’s not just a sale.”
Pieller, a Kutztown native now living in Delaware, agreed.
“It’s very cute here,” she said. “They’ve done a lot to make it accessible, and everything’s different. It’s not all the same stuff.”
Pieller said she hoped to knock out much of her holiday shopping this weekend.
“Online is boring,” she said. “I like to feel stuff, the material, and look at things.”
Taryn Shillady of West Reading and her daughter Natalie Duncan enjoy breakfast at the Taste of Crepes, 617 Penn Ave., before shopping during Small Business Saturday in West Reading on Nov. 29, 2025. (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE)
Across the café, West Reading resident Taryn Shillady didn’t need a special occasion to visit the avenue — she shops and eats local year-round.
Her 4-year-old daughter, Natalie, enjoyed a kid-themed crepe — Saturday’s special was “The Grinch,” dyed appropriately green. But shopping was also on the agenda, at least for Mom.
:I’ll definitely be looking around because I like small rather than big box,” Shillady said.
Supporting small businesses is personal for Shillady, who is the marketing director for Lee Myles Autocare & Transmissions, a business that partners with small shops in the area.
Penn Avenue was lined with activity throughout the morning and into the afternoon. Volunteers handed out canvas shopping totes at Sixth and Penn, where a kiosk sold West Reading-themed shirts and sweatshirts. A DJ played music nearby while families waited for Santa, who posed for free photos from noon to 3 p.m.
North Sixth Avenue was closed to traffic for the festivities.
Displaying West Reading merchandise that will be awarded as prizes are business owners Allison Shannon and Brian Adams during Small Business Saturday in West Reading on Nov. 29, 2025. (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE)
Two merchants helping run the day’s events — Allison Shannon, owner of Allison Clothing Company & Boutique, 522 Penn Ave., and Brian Adams, owner of The Art Room, 633 Penn Ave. — said Small Business Saturday is vital for the district.
“This is the bread and butter of our local communities,” said Shannon, who has spent 14 years on the avenue. “Without it, there’s no community feeling. Everything today is so digital and quick. When you come to West Reading, you become family with our customers.”
Adams said Penn Avenue has evolved dramatically.
“New stores are coming in, old ones are going out, and with support, that’s what keeps us alive,” he said. “We’re really the heart of the county.”
The avenue’s variety — restaurants, boutiques, specialty shops — makes it easy for shoppers to find something for nearly everyone, Adams added. The weekly farmers market and a slate of year-round promotions keep momentum going.
Nick Price, West Reading’s Main Street manager, called the day the kickoff of the holiday season for merchants.
“Our businesses have already started decorating the windows,” he said. “This is an important month for them, and today brings a little fun with it.”
In addition to Santa and the DJ, shoppers could spin a prize wheel for $5, with guaranteed winnings donated by avenue businesses.
“We even have a heated tent giving out free massages,” Price said with a laugh. “It’s all about bringing people out and supporting the avenue.”
High School friends stroll down Penn Avenue during Small Business Saturday in West Reading on Nov. 29, 2025. From left are Arden Heimbach, 17, of Sprnig Township; Mia Haas, 18, of Shillington; and Sasha Schaeffer, 19, of Exeter Township. (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE)
Sherrie Srause of Adamstown decorates a tree at the Santa display during Small Business Saturday in West Reading on Nov. 29, 2025. (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE)