2020 man. Honestly, as each day ticks by I have less and less to say about it. Dismay and disbelief compounds on the daily.
But like the Grinch finally realized, you can’t stop Christmas from coming. And maybe — if we choose a local store — maybe we can make Christmas mean a little bit more. Small businesses are struggling. Our local artist friends and makers are struggling. In lieu of a gift guide this year, here’s a list of small businesses in Berkshire County, as well as some local artists and makers.
Like the Whos down in Who-Ville, let’s make this year mean a bit more.
Shop with your heart. Shop local. Shop small.
Local Outdoor Gear
Berkshire Outfitters
169 Grove St., Rt. 8, Adams berkshireoutfitters.com
Nature’s Closet
61 Spring St, Williamstown naturescloset.net
Arcadian Shop
91 Pittsfield Rd., Lenox arcadian.com
Instant Replay
10 Lyman St., Pittsfield. Newest gear posted on FB page.
Kidding Around Consignment
700 North St., Pittsfield. Newest gear posted on FB page.
Local Toy Shops
Where’d You Get That?
100 Spring St., Williamstown wygt.com
Tom’s Toys
297 Main St., Great Barrington tomstoys.com
The Gifted Child
72 Church St., Lenox thegiftedchild.net
This list includes terrific places to purchase gear to get you and your family outdoors all winter long. Funds tight? Check out Instant Replay & Kidding Around Consignment to score great deals on outdoor gear and more!
Most local businesses did a hard pivot and got themselves online this year. So stay home and shop Where’d You Get That online, one of my favorite shops because they have an amazing selection of creative outdoor toys.
Local Experiences
Ramblewild
110 Brodie Mountain Rd, Lanesborough
Spirit Ballooning
41 Moses Mead Rd, Canaan, CT spiritballooning.com
Catamount Aerial Park
17 Nicholson Rd, South Egremont catamountski.com
Berkshire Camino
Lee, MA berkshirecamino.com
Hancock Shaker Village
1843 West Housatonic St. Pittsfield hancockshakervillage.org
Naumkeag
5 Prospect Hill Rd, Stockbridge thetrustees.org
Flying Deer Nature Center
122 Daley Rd, East Chatham, NY flyingdeernaturecenter.org
Flying Cloud Institute 352 Main St Ste. 212, Great Barrington flyingcloudinstitute.org
Zoar Outdoor
Charlemont, MA zoaroutdoor.com
With no end in sight for social distancing, there’s never been a better time to give the gift of outdoor experiences! Plan a day trip to Ramblewild, a week of nature camp at Flying Deer, or give yourself a gift and unplug with Berkshire Camino (Check out my Mom’s Day Out for more info!).
Local Small Businesses
Storey Publishing
210 Mass MoCA Way, North Adams storey.com
The Garden
148 North St., Pittsfield
413Shirts
Pittsfield, 413shirts.com
The Berkshire Box
Pittsfield, theberkshirebox.com
Dragonwell Tea Shop
149 Eagle St., North Adams
Walla Sauce Apparel
North Adams, wallasauce.com
Peace Train Tees
2 South St, Pittsfield, peacetraintees.com
Things That Work
Pittsfield, thingsthatwork.co
Local Etsy Shops
The Busy Beans
Dalton, MA
Soulful Intentions
Dalton, MA
Shire Alchemy
Dalton, MA
The Scripted Scribble
West Hartford, CT
Etsy is chock full of artists and makers selling incredible, one-of-a-kind gifts that you won’t find anywhere else! I’ve included some ultra-local favorites, as well as some of my go-to shops for nature and outdoor gifts for kids. Some of these shops aren’t local to the Berkshires, but zip codes are just a number in the #shopsmall movement anyhow.
Etsy Shops for Nature Lover’s
Fundanas
Beverly, MA, etsy.com/fundanas
Wee Things Fiber Arts
Montague, MA, etsy.com/weethingsfiberarts
Red Oak Adventures
Nashville, TN, etsy.com/redoakadventures
Twig and Moth
Louisiana, etsy.com/twigandmoth
Lumber Jill Toys
Westhampton Beach, NY, etsy.com/lumberjilltoys
The Curated Set
Foster City, CA, etsy.com/thecuratedset
Sensory Play
Plainfield, IL, etsy.com/sensoryplay
The Idea Box Kids
Wilsonville, OR, etsy.com/theideaboxkids
