- If you want a locally-themed gift for an out-of-town guest, check out The Art Lounge.
- What better gift for a Spartanburg bookworm than a book from our local publisher, Hub City Press?
- Gift the home chef in your life a gourmet meal they don’t have to do any shopping to prepare from Blue Moon Bodega
Thanksgiving dinner is now leftovers, and Santa Claus is busy making his rounds — it’s officially time for Christmas shopping.
For those looking to shop local, Spartanburg has shops throughout the city offering gifts for people on your list. Items from food to fashion are produced right here in the city.
Whether you’re looking for the perfect read, a tasty treat, or a one-of-a-kind item for your family and friends, here’s a shopping list to get you started:
For the foodie: Blue Moon Bodega
Gift the home chef in your life a gourmet meal they don’t have to do any shopping to prepare. Blue Moon Bodega (220 E. Daniel Morgan Ave.) offers a variety of gift baskets filled with regionally-made ingredients, including some of their own made-in-house spices, sauces and snacks.
Options include the Breakfast Lovers basket ($49), the Pasta Lovers basket ($59) and the Tea Lovers mug ($17). There are also options for coffee and wine fans. The boxes are available in-store or by pre-order via orders@bluemoonsc.com.
“We thought of a bunch of fun ones, but you can build your own with all sorts of fun, local products,” said owner Molly Cashman.
Blue Moon Bodega will host a Black Friday sale for their own YEP! brand spice mixes and sauces from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m. Nov. 24. Customers at the Bodega will get 20% off individual Yep! sauces and seasonings and blue boxed Yep! gift boxes, which also include treats from other local shops like Little River Roasting and Dottie’s Toffee.
The sale price will also be available online at yepshake.com until Nov. 26. Their Church Street location will be closed on Black Friday, Nov. 24.
For the art lover: Artists Collective Spartanburg’s Holiday Artisan Market
Have someone on your list who loves adding art to their walls or appreciates a handmade item? The Holiday Artisan Market, held annually at Artists Collective Spartanburg (578 W. Main St.), is open now and has works from more than 30 local and regional artists.
The sale is located in the Solomon Gallery, to the right of the building’s entrance, and is open from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and open late, until 8 p.m., on Thursdays, excluding Thanksgiving Day when it is closed.
The market includes everything from paintings and pottery to handmade jewelry, tree ornaments, and cards at a wide variety of price points from under $5 up to $1,000.
“We don’t have paintings in a certain area or pottery in a certain area, everything’s kind of scattered around the building,” said Lady Pluuto, a member artist and operations facilitator. “We have things for sale upstairs (and downstairs). Our Holiday Artisan Market is here in the Solomon Gallery.”
For the bookworm: Hub City Bookshop
What better gift for a Spartanburg bookworm than a book from our local publisher, Hub City Press?
Some of their latest titles include Halle Hill’s “Good Women” ($17.95), a collection of short stories, local author Edwin C. Epps’ “Duncan Park: Stories of a Classic American Ballpark“ ($19.95), and Reyes Ramirez’s “El Rey of Gold Teeth“ ($16), a poetry collection, all available at Hub City Bookshop (186 W. Main St.).
“Halle Hill just got a shout-out by Oprah (Winfrey), so that’s been very exciting. ‘Good Women’ got a starred review in Kirkus, which is a very difficult review to get a shout out in because they’re very picky, so we’re very proud of that. And Dr. Epps’ book has been selling really well,” said Annie Groover, the bookshop manager.
The shop also carries non-Hub City Press titles from a variety of genres, which will be discounted 10% during their 12 Days of Christmas sale starting Dec. 1. Groover recommends “Being Henry” by Henry Winkler ($30) and “And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle” by Jon Meacham ($25)
Social media coordinator and senior bookseller Amanda Rosa recommends “Mouse’s Wood: A Year In Nature” by Alice Melvin ($19.95) for children and parents and “Divine Rivals” by Rebecca Ross ($18.99) for young adult fantasy lovers.
The bookshop will be open from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. on Black Friday, Nov. 24, and will hold a Small Business Saturday sale in collaboration with Little River Coffee Bar from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. on Nov. 25. The purchase of any Little River beverage earns bookshop customers 10% off their purchase.
For the visitor: BURG Apparel at The Art Lounge
If you want a locally-themed gift for an out-of-town guest or a loved one looking for a little piece of the ‘Burg in their new home, check out The Art Lounge (1410 Skylyn Drive). It is the new home of BURG Apparel.
The Spartanburg-themed product line has expanded since it was purchased by The Art Lounge earlier this fall and includes T-shirts ($28), sweatshirts ($45), caps ($25) and beanies ($20). It also has smaller stocking stuffer-style gifts like koozies, mugs and stickers. The items are particularly popular with tourists and other visitors looking for easy-to-pack souvenirs.
“We found that people are visiting Spartanburg, and they want to take something back with them to wherever they’re going,” said owner Brandi Dice.
The Art Lounge is open from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and will bring its BURG merch to the Small Business Saturday Festival from noon until 5 p.m. Nov. 25 on Magnolia and Dunbar streets. BURG Apparel items can also be purchased online at shopartlounge.com.
A gift card for the ‘new-to-town’ friend
Support the local economy and help a recently-arrived resident find their new favorite shop or lunch spot with a SpartanBucks gift card.
Created by OneSpartanburg, Inc., these e-gift cards are usable at 31 participating shops and restaurants downtown and throughout the city, including Rockers Brewing Co., Blue Moon Bodega, Dray Bar & Grill, Hub City Bookshop, Imagination Station, Paisley Paw, Hub City Farmer’s Market, and The Spice & Tea Exchange.
Gift cards are available for $5, $25, and $50 or loadable with a custom amount, and can be purchased at app.yiftee.com.
Samantha Swann covers city news, development and culture in Spartanburg. She is a University of South Carolina Upstate and Greenville Technical College alumna. Contact her atsswann@shj.com or on Instagram at @sam_on_spartanburg.
