For many years now consumers locally and nationally have been on inexorable trend towards online shopping. With the well-documented supply chain issues; factory slowdowns, shipping-container shortages, cargo ships lined up at ports and a labor shortage leading to a dearth of truckers, online holiday shopping has the potential to turn into a fiasco. What a perfect opportunity to provide yet another good reason to commit ourselves to shopping locally this holiday season.

There are so many ways to give unexpected, genuine, unique and delightful gifts from our many local shops that have survived in the age of online shopping by offering superior service, by being quirky and by knowing their customers. Stay close to home this year and visit all of our neighborhoods to find that something special, here are a few suggestions;

Bridge Street
Visit historic Bridge Street in Waitsfield and pop into the 4OrtyBridge Boutique. Tucked into a vintage space, this shop is where city style meets mountain luxury. You’ll find a carefully curated collection of sophisticated and fun casual wear. The big lure at 4orty Bridge, beyond the collection of fashion, is the highly personalized in-store shopping experience.

Take a short walk down Bridge Street and discover the Artisans’ Gallery. The shop is owned and operated by three partners working with 150+ Vermont artists. They offer a handpicked selection of eclectic, lively, personalized quality pieces in a bright and inviting 1830’s storefront. The gallery truly reflects the collaborative nature of our local creators

The Green Closet, a Resale Boutique,  is a favorite of locals and visitors alike. Their mission is to provide a resale clothing experience like no other. You’ll find one-of-a-kind, recycled, current brands from Gap to Gucci. It’s fun and easy to find great deals on quality, handpicked pieces to add to your wardrobe.  It’s a popular place and turnover is high so shoppers will find something new every day. Right up stairs in the, well… Upstairs Marketplace you’ll find The Silver Trout, an amazing fly fishing emporium along with Mad River Candles and the Re-Sale Loft. Across the street you’ll find All Things Bright and Beautiful, a unique collection of hand painted Christmas ornaments, Santas and plush toys. No one does the holidays like these ladies!

If you stroll up Route 100 (AKA Main Street) you’ll discover The Mad River Glass Gallery, an incrdible studio and shop featuring one-of-a-kind glass creations.  A few doors down you’ll find Clearwater Sports, they have everything you could possibly need to enjoy the outdoors in every season. On the other side of the road you’ll discover Vee’s Flower and Garden Shop with beautiful gifts, flowers, house plants, flower pots and lot’s more.

Irasville

Folks don’t always realize that Bridge Street isn’t Waitsfield’s only village center. Irasville is the other one. There are retail shops on both sides of Main Street). On your right (when heading south) is the Mad River Green Shops which is home to Product Think Tank. Annemarie, the owner and designer has a resume rich in clothing design. She very much wants you to consider “Who made your clothes?”  You’ll notice many of her creations are named after Mad River landmarks as she designs clothing that feels as comfortable as the Valley that inspires them. Right next door shoppers will find Whippletree Designs, a custom embroidery shop that provides personalized monograms and other services.  They also offer preprinted designs that are continually growing and evolving.  Images of skiing, snowboarding, hiking, kayaking/paddle boarding, mountain biking, and the MRV logo are the most popular. Stroll down a few more doors and pop into the The Collection which features, well, a collection of fashion accessories, jewelry, and interior design products. They also happen to have the area’s best selection of toys, games, cards and gifts. Yvonne and her team are at your service whether it be suggesting the perfect gift, gorgeous wrapping or creating a balloon bouquet. Across the way you’ll come to The Mad River Taste Place, a specialty food store offering the widest range of the best artisanal foods and beverages from Vermont, including Cheeses, Meats, Coffee, Bread, Butter, Preserves, and Chocolates. They also offer the best of Vermont Beers, Ciders, Wines and Spirits. A gift basket curated by the Taste Place is great way to send a “taste” of the MRV.  Three Mountain Cafe is a few doors down, grab some coffee and a goodie and peruse a lovely section of artwork, antiques and gift items. Bisbees Hardware is right next door and they have everything you’ll ever need to fix up near anything. An old-time hardware store that prides itself on their old-time customer service.

Cross the street to explore Village Square where you’ll find Blockhouse Studio, a community pottery studios and retail shop that features a carefully curated selection of items for you and your home. Right next door is The Tempest Book Shop which offers an eclectic collection of Books- new and used, movie rentals. watch batteries (Tempus Fixit), puzzles, cards, trains and, oh yeah, homemade bread on Saturdays.

On the Mountain
The Mad River Valley is a “mountain town,” after all, so if you’re looking to be stylish on the slopes our ski shops have amazing mountain fashions along with knowledgeable staff that knows what works best up on the hill. At the base of the Sugarbush Access Road you’ll find Splinters Board Shop, Central vermont’s premier snowboard and skate shop. Travis and his team pride themselves on their unsurpassed service, knowledge and support of the local riding community.  Further up the road is Alpine Options, with its abundance of hard goods, fashionable and technical outerwear, base layers and accessories from brands like Salomon, Arcteryx, North Face and Elevenate.  Clearwater Sports in Waitsfield has been putting people and the outdoors together for over 40 years. They are our local Patagonia retailer and also feature brands like Prana, Mountain Khakis and Outdoor Research and their experienced crew will make sure it is the right gear for your adventure.