A Holiday Shopping Guide for (almost) everyone (Part One)
Burkelman’s Holiday windows, 475 Main Street
This year, take a risk and be the potentially annoying friend who says, “Oh, me? I’ve done all my holiday shopping already. Haven’t you?” With more than 80 shops in and around Beacon, there’s plenty of ways to shop small, shop local, and find that perfect, one-of-a-kind gift for friends, family, secret santas, and, of course, the notoriously hard-to-shop-fors. Whether you’re shopping for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or Yule, you’ll find it on Main Street (and nearby!)
This week marks the start of the Holiday shopping season in Beacon as Hop + Shop begins today (Thursday, December 5th) and continues through Friday with participating stores staying open until 8PM to help local shoppers get a head start on their gifting needs. With special offers, raffle prizes, and carol singing, it’s guaranteed to get you feeling appropriately festive! You can read all about it here.
NEW News from Hop + Shop
Don’t miss out on some incredible prizes generously donated by our local shops and businesses. You can find out how to enter the raffle here. There’s also an opportunity to vote on your favorite Hop + Shop Holiday windows here.
Don’t forget the décor
First things first; it’s time to get your house in order. There are some beautiful Christmas wreaths and decorations available right here on Main Street. And for the first time this year, Christmas trees will be available from New York State of Pine at Beacon Farmers Market (223 Main Street) on Sunday, December 8th only.
Hudson Beach Glass hand-blown Holiday ornaments.
Visit Hudson Beach Glass (162 Main Street) for stunning, collectible, hand-blown ornaments that will have you winning the Best Dressed Christmas Tree in the Neighborhood Award.
It’s hard to walk past Zakka Joy’s (177 Main Street) fun-filled Holiday window without wanting to buy an ornament or two (or three, or four). If you’re a Flamin’ Hot Cheetos fan, or Canned Ham’s your thing, Zakka Joy is for you! (Also great for Holiday cards and Secret Santa gifts!)
Equally fun and colorful is Raven Rose’s ornaments selection which you’ll find at 474 Main Street. And so, of course, is Kringle’s Christmas House pop-up at Beacon Creamery (134 Main Street) with its curation of collectible baubles and snow globes from around the world.
If you haven’t walked past Flora Good Times recently (197 Main Street), we recommend you do. Holiday-ready, its outdoor display is earthily beautiful with mini-Christmas trees and tastefully decorated wreaths. This is where to go if you like your Christmas décor to be naturally inspired.
A custom-made Holiday wreath from Witch Hazel.
Witch Hazel (176 Main Street) offers the most beautiful custom-made Holiday wreaths, crafted from dry flowers. While they may be a little more expensive than the real thing, they’re made to last and can be used year-after-year. We can testify to this, as we bought ours last year and it still looks like new! Prices start at $95 and orders need to be placed by December 11th.
New to Main Street but ready for everything Holiday is Two Sparrows Homestead (226 Main Street). Find cozy Holiday home fragrances, baubles, cute little snowmen, and more.
Gifts for fragrance obsessives
Many of us have a deep emotional tie to a particular fragrance. Maybe it reminds us of landmark moments in our lives or carefree college days (Ah! The Body Shop’s White Musk Eau de Toilette). And those of us who love fragrance are often loyal to a single brand. But sometimes, as every fragrance obsessive knows, it’s worth getting adventurous and trying something new. If you’re shopping for someone who likes to be in the know on scents worth knowing, then we recommend stopping by Witch Hazel (176 Main Street) and Burkelman (475 Main Street).
At Witch Hazel, you’ll find fragrances (and home fragrances) from Icelandic innovators and art collective, Fischersund. If you’re looking for an all-gender fragrance, you’ll find sensual and evocative woody, earthy, and smokey notes in their collection. At Burkelman, you’ll find a perfect winter fragrance in Sensory Seeker. Described as “botanical + strange,” Glamour magazine has also warned, “Be aware that Sensory Seeker’s cannabis, fernet, and clove scent is strong.” Sounds good to us!
Something extra special gifts
For the jewelry aficionados, there’s plenty to be found on Main Street. Two that stand out to us are Lewis & Pine (133 Main Street) and King + Curated (530 Main Street). Lewis & Pine owner, Yali Lewis, creates beautiful modern, lightweight jewelry, inspired by the simple elegance of nature. Gift cards are also available. At King + Curated, you can order custom-made pieces or choose from a carefully curated selection in store. There’s a price-point for everyone, and gift cards are also available here.
And of course, we couldn’t write this feature without mentioning the iconic Hudson Beach Glass (162 Main Street) again, this time for its eminently giftable hand-blown glass collection with items at all price points for the home, the bar, or to wear.
Gifts for vintage lovers
Vintage clothing, jewelry, and home goods at Another Door, 468 Main Street.
In our eyes, the Vintage Lover is a special person. They hanker for beautiful pieces from the past, whether its clothing, jewelry, or items for the home. Either these items have been beautifully crafted, they’re one-of-a-kind, or they hold an almost magical, emotional, nostalgic pull. Luckily for anyone buying for a vintage collector, Beacon has plenty of options for all ages and all genders.
Dickenson’s Antiques (440 Main Street): Curiosities and collectibles from every era.
Another Door (468 Main Street): Clothing, jewelry, depression-era glassware, furniture, and more. Worth visiting often.
Vintage Beacon (478 Main Street): A beautifully curated store for vintage fashionistas. A consignment clothing and accessories store, you’ll find mostly modern designer brands with an occasional vintage classic thrown in.
Blackbird Attic (442 Main Street): A fun, colorful, mostly modern clothing consignment store with a wide range of brands, jewelry, and accessories.
Blackbird Attic’s Holiday window.
Hyperbole (484 Main Street): This lovely store sells new clothing and accessories with a smattering of fun vintage items. Always worth stopping by for that unexpected 1960s polka dot French jumpsuit (true story)!
Psychedelic Sunset Vintage (317 Main Street): This small store packs a mighty vintage punch, with affordable pieces from multiple decades, accessories and more.
Finders Keepers (285 Main Street) and Citivintage (188 Main Street): Eclectic and fun stores with everything vintage you could possibly imagine. You never know what you might find.
Gifts for the mystically minded
The Holidays also include the 12-day festival of Yule (December 21st to January 1st), during which Wiccans and Neo-Pagans celebrate the winter solstice—the shortest day and longest night of the year. Yule celebrates the happy beginning of the lengthening days.
So, if you’re Yule gifting for the mystically minded, Notions-N-Potions (175 Main Street) has a rich selection of raw stones, herbs, jewelry, as well as tarot readings available every weekend.
Witch Please by Les Loups De La Lune—which will soon be moving from 493 Main Street to 498 Main Street—offers reiki-charged manifestation candles, crystals, talismans, suncatchers, and beautiful moon mobiles. You don’t have to be a Wiccan to appreciate just how pretty they are!
And while it’s a touch close to the Holidays, don’t miss out on the Nightmare before Christmas Market by Hudson Valley Cirque Du Creep at The Yard (4 Hanna Lane on Saturday, December 21st). This night market features local artists and businesses described as “dark artists, oddities, tarot readers, tattoo artists, and witchy wares.”
So, we’re wrapping up for now (see what I did there?) on Part One of our Holiday Shopping Guide. Part Two follows next Thursday. In the meantime, scroll our Directories to discover the full breadth of Beacon, NY’s local business community. Whether you live here or are visiting, there’s so many incredible places to shop, eat + drink, stay, and visit.
Until next time…
The Beacon Beacon 🧡