What better way to spread holiday cheer than picking out unique gifts for all of your cherished loved ones — and all from local small businesses? Lucky for you, we’ve found a Charlotte-based place to shop for everyone on your list. Log out of Amazon, remove the big box store gift card from your cart and support the shops and creatives of Charlotte.
GIFT SHOPS
CLTCH
1512 Central Ave.
This Plaza Midwood gift shop is a hidden treasure on Central Avenue, full of quirky, funny and affordable gifts like funky socks and accessories, 420-inspired goods, and products from local designers and artists.
Curio, Craft & Conjure
3204-C N Davidson St.
At this magick shop in NoDa, you’ll find tarot cards, talismans, candles, other tools and supplies that honor African, American, Asian, European, Indigenous, Latin, and Neopagan traditions and practices. From 1-5 p.m. on Small Business Saturday, co-owners Gina Spriggs and Gianna Spriggs-Macdonald, a mother-daughter team, will partner with street vendors that set up along North Davidson Street to host a Gratitude Market for customers.
Good Postage
1824 Statesville Ave.
Full of great picks for the person who likes to create or stay organized, the independent paper goods store Good Postage is packed with art supplies, cards, notebooks and pens at a wide variety of price points. You’ll also find hand-drawn art, illustrations and prints.
GROW
270 Camp Road
Stop by GROW for all the plant lovers on your list. Choose from a curated collection of house plants with options for every budget, and a collection of pots and pottery to display them in.
Heroes Aren’t Hard to Find
417 Pecan Ave.
Whether you’re shopping for the friend that just binge watched Sandman and is up to date on every superhero show, or the one who likes to nerd out on local art, check out Heroes Aren’t Hard to Find. At this locally-owned comic book shop, you’ll find everything from mainstream graphic novels and collectibles, to coffee table books and stories by local indie artists.
Lokal
330 Camp Road, Suite A
This eclectic retail collective is located at the front of Camp North End’s Hygge coworking space. You’ll find everything from clothes to used books to Charlotte-themed swag — all from local creators and businesses.
Moxie Mercantile
2008 Commonwealth Ave.
Moxie Mercantile is a locally-owned boutique with locations in Charlotte, Matthews and Davidson that carries local art, home goods, candles, jewelry and more. They feature both local artisans and fair trade products.
Park Road Books
4139 Park Road
Stop by Park Road Books for the avid readers on your list. You’ll find everything from New York Times best sellers to novels by Charlotte and North Carolina authors. If you keep an eye on the events calendar, sometimes you’ll be able to meet the author after you pick up a book.
BOUTIQUES
Black Sheep Skate Shop
830 Lamar Ave.
You’ll find something for the skateboarders and sneakerheads at the skater-owned-and-operated Black Sheep Skate Shop. Featuring brands like Nike, Vans and Dickies, and an extensive selection of shoes, clothing and skateboards.
F4mily Matters
3623 Latrobe Drive, Unit 130
Peruse the newly opened custom clothing shop in east Charlotte or gift someone a F4mily Membership so they can create their own premium apparel on a recurring schedule.
Five13 Studio
1425 Winnifred St.
Named Boutique of the Year at the Carolina Fashion Awards, this South End women’s boutique features vibrant and on-trend clothes and accessories with many picks under $100.
Rent Ponybox
1110 Morningside Drive
A Ponybox gift card is a great pick if you’re shopping for any environmentally conscious fashionistas. You can either pick out clothes in the showroom or order your fits online for local delivery, and rent them for up to two weeks.
roam & dwell
1226 Central Ave.
This small Plaza Midwood shop just celebrated its two year anniversary and features women’s clothes and accessories with a focus on sustainability.
DUPP&SWAT
1824 Statesville Ave., Suite 105
Since 2010, siblings Dion (Dupp) and Davita (Swat) have operated their Black-owned creative studio as a safe space for artists that has grown to include retail, clothing design, events, exhibits, music festivals, art installations and a non-profit, CROWNKEEPERS. Now just in time for the holidays, the creative minds behind DUPP&SWAT are dropping a capsule clothing collection on Nov. 25 featuring updated designs. The following day, Davita will be unveiling “Colored Girls,” her collection of 25 mixed media portraits at the store. The collection, with prices starting at $175, will debut from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. on Small Business Saturday.
Tabor
431 Providence Road
Tabor features clothes and accessories from established and emerging designers for fashion-forward men. You’ll also find records, grooming products, books and other lifestyle retail goods at this Myers Park boutique.
Thirty-One Jane
908 Pecan Ave.
If you’re looking for high-end women’s clothing, skip the trip to Nordstrom and check out the new Plaza Midwood boutique Thirty-One Jane. You’ll find brands like Proenza, Staud and Ganni as well as some more affordable and fun home goods and decor options.
704 Shop
1616 Camden Road
This Charlotte-themed apparel shop has lots of gifts for those with lots of hometown pride, offering womens, mens and unisex options and goods from collabs with local organizations such as Cheerwine and the City of Charlotte.
MARKETS
BLKMRKTCLT Hunnid Dollar Art Fair
300 Camp Road; Dec. 8-10
This is an opportunity to browse an array of art from 50 local artists, meet artists and enjoy live music by local DJ’s and artists. Unlike a typical art fair, this ethical art exhibition is designed with the artist in mind, providing them with free exhibition space and zero commission of their art sales. Not only does this benefit local artists, but it showcases the talents of the often overlooked in the city. The inaugural Hunnid Dollar Art Fair is organized by BLKMRKTCLT, a gallery and studio space in Camp North End that’s a safe creative environment for artists of color.
Light the Knights Charlotte Christmas Village
324 S. Mint St.; Open Thurs.-Sun. (hours vary) Nov. 25-Dec. 23
Get in the holiday spirit by shopping at this large outdoor market at Truist Field. You’ll find Christmas ornaments and decor, handmade products, art and crafts, European products, traditional toys and specialty foods.
Maker’s Market CLT
Maker’s Markets with goods and crafts from local vendors are popping up at local breweries in Charlotte, Mount Holly and Huntersville on weekends from now until Dec. 10. Check the website for specific dates and times to grab a brew and scope out these regionally-sourced goods.
Saturdays at VAPA
700 N. Tryon St.; Saturdays through Dec. 17, Noon-4 p.m.
Selected artists at the Visual and Performing Arts Center (VAPA) will host a series of open studio events in which original art and crafts will be available for purchase. The offerings will include an eclectic mix of unique artwork from artists producing in various mediums.
South End Shop Small Saturdays
Various locations; Saturdays from Nov. 26-Dec. 10, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Shop local businesses and 135+ pop-up vendors that will line the streets of South End (Atherton Mill, Camden Road, and Winnifred Street). These markets will also feature family-friendly activities like live music from a DJ and photo opportunities with Santa.
VTGCLT
Vintage Charlote (VTGCLT) has been bringing pop-up markets filled with vintage, antique and handmade goods from local and regional vendors to Charlotte for over a decade and you’ll have three opportunities to experience them this holiday season:
- VTGCLT Pop
1111 Metropolitan Ave.
Nov. 11-Dec. 9 (Fri.-Sun., 10 a.m.-7 p.m.); Dec. 10-23 (daily from 10 a.m.-7 p.m.); free admission - VTGCLT Winter Market
401 S. Gardner Ave.
Nov. 19; 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; $8 early admission at 10 a.m. or $3 general admission - Mistletoe Market
1824 Statesville Ave.
Saturdays, Dec. 3, 10, and 17, 4-8 p.m.
FOOD, DRINKS AND EXPERIENCES
Bar à Vins
3206 North Davidson St.
NoDa’s newest wine bar has something for every wine drinker — from the casual sipper to the seasoned aficionado. Ask the knowledgeable staff to help you pick a bottle, or grab a gift card so the recipient can order by the glass with snacks like potato chips and caviar.
The Batchmaker
901 Berryhill Road
The Batchmaker’s batch bucks are a great gift for your friend with a sweet tooth. This local bakery features a unique assortment of cakes, cookies, bars and cheesecakes, and — to make it even sweeter — it regularly gives back to local nonprofits.
Hydrate Medical
Locations vary
Hydrate Medical kicks off the holiday season with a boost of energy, wellness, and hydration by offering a slew of Black Friday discounts that run through Nov. 28.
The Cocktailery
2000 South Blvd., Suite 430
Perfect for the person that would rather stay in and DIY than wait in lines at a bar, The Cocktailery offers expert cocktail classes and all the supplies you need to create your dream drinks in the comfort of your own home.
Weathered Souls Brewing
255 Clanton Road
Weathered Souls, the brewery that founded the “Black is Beautiful” fundraising initiative, opened their second location in Charlotte on Nov. 12. Gift cards from the brewery can be cashed in for beers, or a little later this year, at the brewery’s restaurant complete with cocktails and a menu curated by local James Beard nominee Greg Collier and a coffee shop.
Clayworks
4506 Monroe Road
A workshop from Clayworks, Charlotte’s largest pottery studio, is a unique gift for the creative souls on your shopping list. Learn to use a pottery wheel or hand-build your own clay pieces at Clayworks workshop series. You also can shop from a selection of finished goods by local artists during Clayworks’ holiday sale on Friday, Dec. 2, 6-9 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 3, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Pranayama House Healing Center
431 Penman St.
Give the gift of wellness with a class pass or membership at Pranayama House. This new studio, which recently opened in South End, offers power vinyasa, deep stretch and sound bath classes and is the first woman-and-black-owned yoga studio in Charlotte.
Santhoshi’s Kitchen
511 Brookhaven Drive, Fort Mill, SC
Sign your loved ones up for Santhoshi’s cooking classes, in which he teaches how to make authentic Indian cuisine in his own home kitchen. Courses can be customized with vegan, vegetarian or gluten-free options. There are also online options, including pre-recorded lessons for how to cook dishes such as palak paneer and chicken tikka masala.
This work by Queen City Nerve is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
