This is piggybacking on Betsy’s post about Black Friday and whether or not we opt to get up before the crack of dawn to get discounted products at the big stores around town.
My mother is one of those people who make it a tradition to awaken at a ridiculous hour the day after Thanksgiving to venture out to various stores in Baltimore that are open and hoping people will buy, buy, buy.
Not I. Never have, never will. Simply put, I’m an insomniac and the thought of intentionally altering my sleep patterns for shopping seems a step too close to masochism.
Since moving to Portland, I’ve been absolutely amazed by the amount of local artists and artisans who sell a variety of items. Sorry, but you’re not going to find vegan chocolate truffles at Wal-Mart. And that’s just one of many examples.
While there is definitely a time and place for shopping at Target and on Amazon.com, here are some places to check out as you think about gifting during the winter season. This isn’t intended to be an exhaustive list, but should serve as a good starting point.
- Secret Society Sale — happening today (November 30) from 10AM – 6PM at the Secret Society Ballroom in NE Portland.
- Crafty Wonderland’s Super Colossal Holiday Sale — happening Sunday, December 14, from 11AM – 7PM at the Oregon Convention Center.
- Portland Truffle — the shop is open through the season on Fridays and Saturdays from 10AM – 5PM, and is located in NE Portland, but you can also place orders online.
- Handmade NW — there are multiple Handmade NW events occurring in December, so check the site for details on locations and dates.
- Festival of the Last Minute — from December 17 – 24, the Portland Saturday Market will be open daily for those folks who enjoy the thrill of procrastination, but still want to support local businesses.
Perhaps buying local is a peace of mind for some. You may know the people who run the business or you know they use quality materials, for example. There’s also the ability to utilize less packaging when shopping locally as you can take along your own bags to cart goods home rather than dealing with lots of plastic bubbles and cardboard boxes. (Granted, that isn’t entirely unavoidable if you’re like me and having to ship gifts out of the area for friends and family.)
In addition to getting out myself out to the above events, some of the folks on my gift list will be receiving some homemade baked goods from my kitchen. But shh, don’t tell them that!
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