Buy your holiday gifts locally, and you could end up with a gift for yourself — a $500 cash gift.

The 15th annual Bristol Holiday Preview — “Bristol’s Night to Shine” — kicks off the focus on buying local Friday and Saturday 5-9 p.m. Sponsored by the Bristol Merchants Association, 48 participating businesses throughout downtown Bristol will identify themselves with “lumineers,” to let shoppers know they are Snowflake Raffle stores. Any shopper who spends at least $25 in one of the participating businesses will be entered into the Snowflake Raffle on Dec. 18, when 10 $500 prizes will be drawn, according to organizer Lynn Shaw.

“We started this as an incentive to shop local,” Ms. Shaw said. “You buy local and you could win $500.”

Shoppers can continue to pick up tickets every time they shop until the Snowflake Raffle event on Dec. 18 at the corner of State and Thames streets. To kick off the season on Friday and Saturday nights, shoppers get double tickets with every $25 purchase.

As part of the Holiday Preview, East Bay Newspapers will host a “Sweet Start Smackdown” at the historic ballroom at Linden Place on Hope Street Friday, 6-8 p.m. Pastry chefs from around the region will compete for participants’ taste buds. Businesses represented in the sweet fight include 22 Bowen’s, The Beehive Cafe, Boat House Restaurant, Christian’s, Crepelicious, Dewolf Tavern, Just One More and Syroya's Sweetsations. 

Audience votes will count for 50 percent of each pastry chef's final score. With a $5 donation, guests can pick up three more tokens to bolster votes for their favorites.

In addition to dessert, locally made beverages will be available from Pawtucket’s Bucket Brewery and Newport Vineyards, and live music from Julio Amaro will entertain guests.

Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door, with partial procedes to benefit Linden Place. For tickets and more information, visit https://sweetstart.eventbrite.com.