With an early Thanksgiving, the Christmas shopping season was a bit longer this year. Many shoppers will still be using the extra weekend Saturday and Sunday to take care of some last-minute presents and stocking stuffers. Knoxville Chamber of Commerce Director Larissa Van Donselaar encourages shoppers to stay local this weekend. She reminds residents that money that is spent locally gets reinvested back into our local community, where it can help your friends and neighbors. As a bonus, Van Donselaar says that you won’t have to fight off the large holiday crowds that can gather in other big cities, and you can save on gas as well.