Locals stopped by Bay Shore’s Main Street on May 10 as part of the first Sidewalk Sale. The event was put together by the Bay Shore Retail Committee. From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., shoppers explored the small businesses the town has to offer. It was also the perfect day to get a last-minute Mother’s Day gift, as it was just one day before.

Although it was the first year of the event, Renee Goldfarb, leader of the committee, is hoping to make it an annual event, maybe even two times a year. Given the event’s success, the Sidewalk Sale is aiming for an annual spring and fall date.

“Ideally, we would love to do a spring Sidewalk Sale and a fall Sidewalk Sale,” Goldfarb said. “I think it’ll be fantastic.”

Businesses such as Nalu, Willy Nilly, Origin of Era and Living each displayed some of what they have to offer. Nalu and Origin of Era had sales racks outside of their shop, offering deals such as fill up a bag of five dresses for $50 from Origin of Era, or fill up a bag for $75 from Nalu.

Not only does the event help the businesses move through past merchandise, but it also allows them to introduce merchandise for the upcoming season. It gets people out onto Main Street, including those who may typically not walk along Main Street.

The idea for the Sidewalk Sale was from Goldfarb, who is the owner of a small business herself. Origin of Era is a cozy boutique located on Main Street; about 98 percent of her shop is by female designers. She wanted to support and bring awareness to the local shops located in Bay Shore.

“The purpose is to bring awareness to the retailers in the downtown Bay Shore,” Goldfarb said. “Bay Shore’s really known for their bars and their restaurants and people forget that there is such a beautiful thriving, you know, downtown boutique area, that really each one specializes in something different.”

GrowinShade, an Islip-based business, had a pop-up shop in the bandshell. They are known for their variety of plants and pots, as well as plant-related workshops that they put together, such as “Paint, Pot and Sips.” It is owned by Kandice Rogers, who studied architecture and has since found ways to incorporate it into her yearslong dedication to plants. The trellis her shop sells were designed by her.

Other businesses that partook in the Sidewalk Sale were Drew Patrick Spa, which had gift card packages available for Mother’s Day; and Blast from the Past, which was selling items located outside for $1 and offered a discount for indoor items.

Rather than shopping at large retailers such as Target, American Eagle, Old Navy or Amazon, consumers should support stores that are local to them.

For Goldfarb, it’s important that residents and locals come out to support small businesses.

“Because we are in your town, we’re where you live, and if you don’t have that, then you don’t really have a small-town feel.”

Throughout the day, Goldfarb was reaching out to shops and seeing how the Sidewalk Sale was going. Everyone she spoke to mentioned that it had been a successful day.