Bargain Days on the Downtown Mall, July 17 - 19

The Annual Old Fashioned Bargain Days are going on now on Cville’s Downtown Mall. Quite a long list of participants can be found here.

I am a girl after a bargain, and you will find me perusing the shops later today to see if I can grab something at a steal now that I might “need” later. Still, I can’t help but wonder if this year’s Bargain Days will see the same flurry as seen in previous years because of the economic squeeze.

That said, this is a perfect opportunity to save yourself a little money and possibly a little headache later. Holiday presents, for example. Nothing stings worse than spending several thousands in the month December on travel and gifts. So I hit up the sales now and stock up my gift closet.

This is also the perfect time to grab items for next year’s summer wardrobe. I will inevitably need a new pair of sandals by next Spring, so I hunt for them now instead of paying full price later.

I previously asked folks what they felt could / should be done on the mall to improve it as Charlottesville’s center of activity. There was some excellent commentary from both mall pedestrians and business owners. It sounded like parking was a big issue. What do you think? Will parking keep you from meandering the mall this weekend? Or will you skip the Old Fashioned Bargain Days for economic reasons?

Even if you don’t intend to spend, I hope to see you out on the mall eating some gelato and people watching in the sunshine.