This weekend, Small Business Saturday will give Cortez shoppers an opportunity to see the diverse amount of local businesses in town, said Mark Drudge, of the Cortez Retail Enhancement Association.

“We really have more to offer than people realize,” Drudge said.

About 25 local businesses will be participating this weekend in the event. Small Business Saturday was created in 2010 as a way to showcase small and local businesses nationwide. It falls each year on the Saturday after Black Friday, one of the biggest shopping days of the year.

Also this weekend, CREA will start a passport contest that offers people a chance to win a $2,000 Cortez Cash shopping spree. People can get their passports at local businesses or find in The Journal. Local businesses will stamp the passport, and people can mail or drop off their completed passports to CREA for a chance at the grand prize. The contest runs this weekend through Dec. 17.

The passport contest will encourage people to get out and experience the businesses Cortez offers, Drudge said.

“People don’t realize the amount of diverse businesses we have in Cortez,” he said.

It’s important that people embrace local merchants, Drudge said.

“It’s important because of our community,” he said. “We need to support our local merchants because that’s what makes our community unique.”