Millions of people right now are off shopping somewhere on Black Friday, spraying people with pepper spray and getting super awesome deals. Cyber Monday will continue the shopping tradition, bringing the craziest deals online.

Last year, another Holiday Shopping tradition was established. Sponsored by American Express, Small Business Saturday encourages shoppers to “Shop Small,” buy from local vendors and help boost the economy.

“When we all shop small, it will be huge,” says the official Small Business Saturday website, and their Facebook page already has more than 2 million likes.

The purpose of the initiative is to shift holiday shopping from major retail and technology stores on Black Friday and Cyber Monday to local mom and pop shops. Kansas City alone has hundreds of small businesses, and it will be interesting to see how many people will support the locals.

This year, with the support from Facebook, Google and Foursquare, the campaign went viral. It’s still not too late to pledge to Shop Small and encourage your social networks to do the same.

The campaign’s Facebook page lets you share the badge on your wall (and you can even tag your favorite local businesses!), or you can help get the word out on Twitter, using hashtags #SmallBusinessSaturday and #SmallBizSaturday.

Know of any local gems in your neighborhood? This is a great day to finally invite your friends to that newly opened sandwich shop down the street or that unique gifts store you’ve been wanting to visit, and show your city your support.

What businesses will you be supporting this Saturday?

Last week in Kansas City, a tightly knit community of artists, musicians and slightly strange regular folk hit the streets near downtown at dawn and again at dusk to spread Mardi Gras merriment from the Westside to the Jazz District. It’s a decade-plus tradition, and judging by the folks who came out and hit it hard in 19-degree weather this year, it’s not going away anytime soon.

Part one follows the morning parade. With help from others, such as Krewe de Zoo, the Top of the Bottoms Social Aide Pleasure Society’s Dirty Force Brass Knuckle Street Band and Soul Revue led marchers from 18th & Jefferson to YJ’s in the Crossroads

Part two shows the evening revelry on West 18th Street, followed by the live getdown at the Mutual Musicians Foundation, courtesy of Hearts of Darkness and Millage Gilbert. We talk to a couple of longtime Fat Tuesday fanatics and find out what this tradition means for KC.

In the third installment of our ongoing series of video profiles of cool local entrepreneurs and businesses, we decided it was time to tipple. So who better to call on than Eddie Crane, owner of The Drop on Martini Corner in Kansas City’s Union Hill District? Drink up, and leave feedback in the comments.

Direct YouTube link.

Previously featured: Scott Fitness, Indigo Wild. To suggest a profile subject, e-mail jason@lockerpartner.com or hit us up on Twitter @lockerpartner.