With Black Friday quickly approaching (aka Nov. 28, if you’re the type to pretend to ignore capitalism and Walmart ads), the hive mind of America is focusing in on the holiest of all holiday celebrations: shopping. The annual glut of markdowns admittedly brings with it the certain undeniable joy of buying a pair of $2.99 house slippers (they had been $9.99!). But there’s an even greater joy in buying something unique for the special people in your life that didn’t come from a big-box store — something with a “wow” factor.
As always, this season we want you to shop local, and this year’s Gift Guide aims to help you do just that. We went to a bevy of boutiques to do some preliminary research and offer an idea of what independent shops and Cincinnati craftsmen are offering for the various types of people you know: party-throwers, kids, humans addicted to their Instagram feeds, those who refuse to leave the house after the first snowfall, etc. We also wrangled two experts on shopping local — Grace Dobush, co-organizer of Crafty Supermarket, and Lindsay Dewald, co-founder of The City Flea — to get their advice to help you navigate the plethora of makers at their upcoming respective shopping markets.
Together, we hunted down a plethora of gifts for every type of person in your life: The Entertainer, The Culture Vulture, The Next Food Network Star, The Seasonal Shut-In, The Little Human, The Accessorizer, The Cincinnati Patriot, The Happy Camper, The DIY-ER and The Free Spirit.
Inside the Guide, their product and store picks are highlighted with a badge and a quote about why they picked what they picked (and you can also find more local shopping initiatives in our Staff Picks).
Crafty Supermarket’s holiday show is returning to Music Hall’s ballroom Nov. 29, with more than 90 hand-selected crafters, artists and designers from all over the United States. And City Flea’s Small Mall at the Contemporary Arts Center and 21c Museum Hotel Nov. 30 features local brick-and-mortar boutiques versus independent vendors. Their selections are intermixed with some of our favorites.
So whether you go to a craft fair (like Winterfair Nov. 28-30 at the Nothern Kentucky Convention Center) or inside an actual local store, grab your credit card and a reusable tote bag and get ready to shop.
