Capitol Hill’s Small Business Gift Card Exchange Starts Saturday, November 22

Capitol Hill’s Small Business Gift Card Exchange Starts Saturday, November 22

by Larry Janezich

Posted November 21, 2025

A slew of Capitol Hill business organizations are sponsoring the 4th Annual Better Together Small Business Gift Card Exchange running Saturday, November 22 through Sunday, December 7, 2025.  The event is one of two local promotion efforts to encourage community support for local small businesses this holiday season.  This Saturday launches the holiday season with the lighting of the Capitol Hill Holiday Tree at Eastern Market Metro Park starting at 5:30pm. 

Here’s how the exchange works: shop at any of the 31 participating business (see below) between 11/22 and 12/7 and receive a free gift card from another local favorite.  Some terms apply and gifts are available while supplies last.

Participating Businesses include:

Eastern Market Pottery, Clothes Encounters, Relume, Photopia, La Casina, Music on the Hill,

Labyrinth Games & Puzzles, Hill’s Kitchen, East City Bookshop, Mr. Henry’s, Barrel, Little District Books,  Awakening Bar & Grill, DCANTER Wine Boutique, Ambar, Frame of Mine, The Miracle Theatre, Bistro Cacao, Café Berlin, The Queen Vic, Granville Moore’s, The Pug, City Dogs, Jade Fitness, Hill East Burger, The DC Dentist, Ginkgo Gardens, Santa Rosa Taqueria, Good Stuff Eatery, We, the Pizza, Hawk & Dove.

Here’s a map:  https://capitolhillbid.org/bettertogether

Launched by Kathleen Donahue, owner of Labyrinth Games & Puzzles, during the post-COVID recovery, Better Together celebrates the strength and spirit of Capitol Hill’s small business community.  Shopping local means investing in your community – supporting the people, schools, and organizations that make Capitol Hill thrive.

The second event is The Barrack’s Row and Eastern Market Main Street’s Sip and Shop on Monday, December 1 from 5pm to 8pm with wine tastings and exclusive in-store specials. DCanter will be providing different wines to each location so it will be a walking wine tasting.

Participating businesses include: 

Clothes Encounters DC, Eastern Market Pottery, Refume, Capitol Hill Books, Groovy DC Cards and Gifts, Paris Bleu, Spin Time Records, East City Books, Labyrinth, Hills Kitchen, DCanter. 

Here’s a map locating participants:  https://bit.ly/47Rvth3

Capitol Hill Corner will post a comprehensive list of additional Capitol Hill holiday events on Saturday, November 22.