Seven women-owned businesses across the Central Valley are joining forces under a new collaborative banner — The League of Extraordinary Women-Owned Businesses — to launch a monthlong “Shop Small, Summer Passport to Fun” event beginning July 1.
The promotion spans Turlock, Merced, Newman, Gustine and Los Banos, bringing together boutiques, bookstores, craft and stationery shops, and home‑goods stores. Organizers say the effort aims to strengthen the region’s independent retail community while giving shoppers a playful, interactive way to explore local businesses.
Customers can pick up a passport at any participating shop. Each small purchase earns a stamp, and shoppers who collect all seven stamps and return their completed passport to the store where they began by July 31 will be entered into a grand prize drawing. Each business is contributing a curated prize, offering multiple chances to win.
Christina Carroll, co-owner of Needful Things in Turlock, said that this is the first passport event for boutique stores she has participated in, however, in early June the store was part of a yarn-themed passport that drew over a 100 new visitors in one week.
She was also excited about the event being woman business owner themed.
“There are still a lot of people who have unpopular opinions of women’s abilities in the business world. We’ve been in business for a long time and continue to be successful,” Carroll said.
Sisters Christina and Cassandra Carroll purchased the shop from its original owner, Charlene Fry, in late 2019. Fry had previously operated Needful Things on Thor Street since 2016, but the Carroll sisters moved their new business endeavor onto Geer Road just a few months after purchasing the shop — and in the middle of a global pandemic.
Needful Things still serves as a source of vintage finds, one-of-a-kind items, salt water taffy and more, but now has some well-known neighbors like Olde Tyme Pastries, Angelini’s and Dale’s Guitar.
Organizers say the collaboration grew from a shared desire to support one another in a challenging retail climate. By encouraging cross‑shopping, they hope to introduce customers to stores they may not have visited before and highlight the economic impact of keeping purchases local.
“As women business owners, we realized early on that we are stronger together than we are apart,” said Marie Hall, owner of Scrawl, Scribble & Smirch Bookshop in Gustine. “This passport event is a fun, engaging way to introduce our customers to other incredible local shops they might not have discovered yet, while directly supporting each other’s growth.”
Participating businesses include Ida e Volta in Newman; Needful Things and Paper Moon in Turlock; Second Time Around in Merced; Scrawl, Scribble & Smirch Bookshop in Gustine; and Fleur de Lis and My Hippie Soul in Los Banos. Together, the group represents a wide slice of the Valley’s independent retail scene — from clothing and gifts to books, stationery and handmade goods.
Residents and visitors are encouraged to spend July exploring the participating shops, discovering new favorites and supporting the women entrepreneurs behind them. Passports, store locations and prize previews are available in-store and on participating businesses’ social media pages.
