The Grays Harbor holiday shopping season is a great time to boost the community and support our small, local businesses. It is much easier to find unique, quality crafted and often handmade gifts when shopping locally. Especially when thinking of friends and family far from home, nothing beats sending a gift that they can’t find anywhere else.
Grays Harbor is home to so many small businesses, many of them family-owned and operated. Here are a few to get you started on your shopping list, no matter where in the county you find yourself this holiday season.
1. Holiday Bazaars and Shopping Events
Throughout the county, holiday bazaars are a popular way for local crafters and small businesses to sell their wares. These typically run for a limited amount of time, whether just for one day or a long weekend. Usually accompanied by a visit from Santa, food, music, or hot cocoa, holiday bazaars are a great way to get shopping done and to have a little fun as well.
Check out this article on GraysHarborTalk listing holiday bazaars throughout the county all month long. A few highlights are listed below.
Seabrook Holiday Bazaar will be on Sunday, December 4 at Seabrook’s Town Hall.
Several small businesses in downtown Aberdeen will be open late and participating in raffles during this year’s Winterfest, December 2 – 4.
Harbor Square is up and running, and will have two special holiday shopping weekends this year for Holidays at the Square, on December 9 and December 16.
As a part of Monte’s annual Festival of Lights, a craft fair will be held on Saturday, December 10 at the Montesano Junior High School Gym from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
2. Antiques and Home Décor
Cutline Look for unique holiday gifts at antique shops like The Painted Pelican. Photo credit: The Painted Pelican
For beautiful home decorations, visit Country Closet in Aberdeen. Their shop is full of wonderful finds to add comfort and style to any living space.
Past and Present Mercantile is an antique mall in downtown Aberdeen. Various vendors use this space to sell antiques. It’s the perfect place to shop around for the vintage lover in your life.
The Painted Pelican is a neat antique store in Grayland. You’re sure to find something there for anyone into antique treasures.
3. Bath, Body, and Natural Products
The Marketplace in Aberdeen is fantastic for so many things. Whether you know someone who loves teas, spices, essential oils or natural bath and body products, it is the place to go.
In the heart of Montesano, Organics 101 is another spot to check for treats, teas and body product gifts.
The Naked Nature Soap Company in Hoquiam is magical. Their physical store closed in November of this year, however you can still snag some of their delightful handmade soaps from their online shop. They are an excellent local business to support this holiday season as they transition from storefront to online.
4. Clothing and Knick Knacks
Pomegranate is a quaint shop in Grayland full of great gift items. They specialize in special occasion gifts and will be sure to have plenty of ideas for holiday gift giving.
If you know someone who prefers sewing clothes to buying them, Elma Variety is the place to go for fabrics and textile needs. They are a family run businesses that Grays Harbor is very lucky to have. Their large location also has various gift items and toys to browse.
Pick up a gift at the Six Rivers Gallery in Hoquiam. The Gallery features art by local artists and also houses a gift shop, perfect for finding something truly unique for the holidays.
In Montesano, All Blinged Out carries clothing, shoes and accessories galore. Stop by to find gifts for anyone who is into fashion.
5. Food and Drink
Visit Karen and Ryan at Grays Harbor Wine Sellars to find the perfect gift for the wine lover in your life. They have a wide variety of wines and their friendly atmosphere will probably keep you coming back for yourself.
The Northwest is known for coffee, and we’re pretty lucky to have Tinderbox in Grays Harbor. Roasted right here in our backyard, this makes a fantastic gift during our rainiest months. You can find them at their shop in Westport or check their website for other locations that carry their coffee.
If you know someone who would love getting jerky as a gift, hop on over to Bay City Sausage. You might also want to consider their tasty party platters for your holiday gatherings.
Jams, jellies, beer, wine, pickled things—all the delicious goodies that winter brings can be found at the Elma Farm Stand and Public Market. Take a stroll around the store to also find gift shop items like potpourri and home décor.
6. All the Rest
Harbor Square is now up and running in Aberdeen. Many various vendors use this space, and it is definitely worth checking out while you’re out shopping.
Grays Harbor Farmers Market in Hoquiam is another space featuring many local vendors. From herbal sachets to miniature wooden logging trucks, homemade soaps to homemade instruments, jewelry to knitted hats, you might be tempted to do all your shopping in this one lovely place.
