Holiday shoppers seeking an alternative to the usual mall experience can hit Deep Ellum, which is hosting #DeckDeepEllum, a festive tradition with its own hashtage taking place on Saturday November 26.

It's one part of an entire Small Business Saturday event that will, for the first time, incorporate a tree lighting ceremony. Called Deep Ellum Noel Nights, it'll feature holiday music, s’mores, fire pits, and photos with Santa from 6-9 pm, in the plaza at 2647 Main St.

Small Business Saturday is a nationwide shopping event launched as a counterpart to Black Friday and Cyber Monday, which focus on big box retail and internet stores. In contrast, Small Business Saturday encourages shopping small and local during one of the busiest shopping seasons of the year.

There's also an interactive component: Deep Ellum businesses will be decorating a bright pink Christmas tree in a contest for Christmas tree supremacy. Locals can vote via social media for their favorite tree, and one patron wins a gift card to that business.

More than 20 Deep Ellum businesses are participating including: Mokah Coffee & Tea, Gus’s Fried Chicken, Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams, Flea Style, Upstairs Circus, Deep Ellum Brewing Company, Blade Craft Barber Academy, Kettle Art Gallery, Urban Paws, Unruly Boutique, JEM Studios, Twisted Root, Federales, White Rhino Coffee, Cheba Hut, Chick’nCone, Fuzzy’s Taco Shop, Space Cowboy Home, Everything Ellum, PartyGeenius, Cafe Brazil, The Upper Paw, and Rudolph’s Market & Sausage Factory.

Stephanie Keller Hudiburg, executive director of The Deep Ellum Foundation, says in a release that their goal is to encourage Dallasites and tourists to support the 185-plus local independent businesses in Deep Ellum.

The Deep Ellum Foundation (DEF) has also instituted a holiday theme in its streetlight pole banner program, drafting eight local artists to design holiday banners, including William “Bubba” Flint, Dani Waldorf, Will Heron, Madison Gowins, Taylor Peterson, Nick Anderson, Hunter Moehring, and Janie McGuffee. The banners can be spotted on Elm Street, Main Street, and Exposition Avenue.

The festivities begin with a holiday Sip & Shop at 11 am.