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1 R Special Advertising Section | SUNDAY, AUGUST 16, 2020 7 Continued from previous page Don’t forget the wine only have one to two people in the store,”Urban says,“and [may be] more capable of enforcing rules and keeping things sanitary.” Shop local online The virus is changing the way we shop, shifting many of us to digital options. Businesses are responding by improving, or even launching, their online presence. “At the beginning of the shut- down we realized that several small businesses didn’t have an online presence at all,”Mike Stewart, the executive director of Ballard Alliance, says. So the group created visitballard .com/shop, an Etsy-style shop- ping site on which Ballard busi- nesses can sell curated products. “We sent each business owner a link to a form where they could fill out information on 10 individual items to post so busi- nesses could continue to engage in sales even when the stores were closed.” Get creative in supporting restaurants While restaurants have limited interior occupancy, many are being creative and finding new ways to feed people safely. Take- out is still an option, but now there are other ways to get your flavor fix. “One catering company pivoted their business to start offering meals from food trucks in different neighbor- hoods,” Jones says. Others are taking advantage of outdoor spaces. In Edmonds, Main Street is closed for a few blocks on some Saturday eve- nings so that restaurants can use the space to seat diners. “One restaurant said the first street closure was their best sales day ever,”Urban says. “Another said they’d run out of food by 8 p.m., and that had never hap- pened before.” If you need extra incentive to venture out, the Ballard Alli- ance has created a photographic scavenger hunt photo challenge where the winner gets $250 in gift cards from local businesses. August is Washington State Wine Month, making it a great time to support local winemakers. You can do this at home by picking up Washington wine from your favorite grocery store or beverage re- tailer, or by getting bottles to go or delivered from area wineries. If you wish to venture out, several wineries are of- fering expanded outdoor seating. If you do choose to visit a winery, there are a few things to keep in mind: 6 feet of sip-aration: Groups will be capped at five people, with a 6-foot distance between tables and an emphasis on outdoor seating. Bar seating is closed. If the winery also offers food, indoor dining is allowed at 50% capacity (this does not apply in Yakima, Benton and Franklin counties). Sitting with friends may be allowed outdoors — check the lat- est regulations by county before you go. Mask up: Following the statewide mandate, all employees and guests are required to wear masks when moving around the winery. Call ahead: Some tasting rooms have modified hours, and others are open by appointment only. It’s always best to call ahead. Customer logs: Wineries are not required to take down your information if you visit, but will have a voluntary customer log on-site for contact tracing needs. Stay in: Join a wine club, pick up a bottle to go or order a bottle of Washington wine with your take- out order from local restaurants. Support your state in the easiest (and most delicious) way possible. Raise a glass. Make a difference. — Washington State Wine Commission Above: A plastic partition at Clo- ver Toys in Bal- lard helps keep employees and customers safely distanced. Left: Directional arrows at Market Street Shoes allow customers to move through the store without getting too close to one another. COURTESY OF MARKET STREET SHOES Find the reopening status of local businesses by visiting seattletimes.com/supportlocal We Love Local online COURTESY OF CLOVER TOYS GETTY IMAGES