Shop local for the holidays with our New Hampshire gift guide

Check out our curated holiday gift guide to find presents from local New Hampshire businesses. 

If you want to avoid big-box retailers this holiday season and check off your list at local businesses, this gift guide is for you! We compiled gift ideas for every type of person in your life, from the Europhile to the gamer. 

For the Europhile

Viking House

19 North Main Street, Concord. In-store only.

Featuring a delightful selection of gifts, clothing, and imported foods from over 10 European countries, including a vast array of German nutcrackers, Norse-themed ornaments, Icelandic chocolates, and Norwegian sweaters, just to name a very few items.

Photo courtesy of Stacy Milbouer.

British Aisles

1634 Greenland Road, Greenland. In-house and online.

This wholesale import store also has a retail shop, which is filled with goodies the anglophile or foodie on your list will love. We’re fans of the Thursday Spiced Cherry Jam with Cherry Brandy Marmalade, Heinz Ploughman’s Pickle, and Mr. Kipling Exceedingly Good Cakes Deep Filled Mince Pies.

Celtic Crossing

112 Congress Street, Portsmouth. In-store only.

Since 1998, the store has brought products from Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and Cornwall to the seacoast. We love the selection of Official New Hampshire Tartan scarves, stoles, ties, brooches, and flat caps.The Tartan was designed in 1933 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the New Hampshire Highland Games and Festival.

The Italian Market

585 Union Avenue, #1, Laconia. In-store or online.

This Lakes Region purveyor is the spot for those craving authentic Italian flavor and products. For your holiday charcuterie board, we recommend Calvi Lemon Infused Oil, Trecinne with Sesame and Potato, and Asdomar Filetti di Tonno All’olio di Oliva.

The Tuscan Market

9 Via Toscana, Salem.

For those just beginning their Italian culinary journey, the Cooking School at Tuscan Market Salem offers a variety of one-session cooking classes, such as Holy Cannoli,  Breakfast Pizza & Mimosas, and a Pasta Master Class.

For the home chef

Main Street Kitchens

6 Allen Street, Hanover. In-store and online.

We believe in a well-dressed home cook, and among this store’s wares are some pretty gorgeous aprons in some hot prints like Spruce Woods Plaid, Classic Swan Lake, and even an adorable Sophie Allport Children’s Apron adorned with blue tractors and white sheep.

Leroux Kitchens

23 Market Street, Portsmouth. In-store and online. 

We love that you can shop by cooking level, from casual chef to pro. Since we fall into the former category, we like the array of Captain Mowatt’s Hot Sauce and the Zwilling J.A. Henckels Four-Star Paring Knife.

Things Are Cooking

74 North Main Street, Concord. In-store and online.

This independently owned shop is a gourmet retail kitchen store. We especially love the OXO Corn Holder 8-Piece Set and the Staub Tomato Cocotte.

Everything But The Cook

28 Central Street, Woodsville. In-store or online. 

This is the perfect shop for the cook who already has everything. Some of our picks are the terracotta Fox Run Craftsman Garlic Baker, and for the caffeine fiend in your life, the indigo-blue Le Creuset Stoneware French Press.

For the craft lover

League of N.H. Craftsmen

Center Sandwich, Concord, Hooksett, Littleton, Meredith, Nashua, and North Conway. In-store or online.

New Hampshire folks know that the League is synonymous with juried, high-quality New Hampshire crafts and art. We have our eye on the Glass Feather Vase in ocean-blue colors at the Nashua store and the Long Fern Earrings by Melissa Fabbri in the Littleton store.

Hannah Grimes Marketplace

42 Main Street, Keene. In-store and online.

This non-profit cooperative is home to works from 250 local craftspeople and fine artists. It would be hard not to find a gift for the lover of local crafts on your list. Some of our favorites include whimsical prints, tote bags, and cards from Keene artist Tim Campbell, and one-of-a-kind hand-knitted animal hats, including a frog, goldfish, and elephant. 

Photo of print courtesy of Stacy Milbouer.

For the gamer

Awesome Cards, Collectibles & Games

123 Nashua Road, Londonderry

The store carries trading card games, hobby supplies, board games, plush, and toys. It’s also a great place to find stocking stuffers for your gamer, including Marvel Stickers, Pokémon Wall Decals, and Pokéballs.

The Relentless Dragon

483 Amherst St., Nashua. In-store and online.

This shop focuses on specialty board games like Catan, Carcassonne, and Ticket to Ride, as well as trading card games, role-playing games, and tabletop miniature games.

Let’s Play Collectibles And Things

1134 Hooksett Road, Hookset, and 89 Fort Eddy Road, Concord, in-shop and online.

This shop specializes in trading cards like Magic and Pokémon, video games, consoles, and collectibles, including a wide range of Funkos.

For the Christmas ornament collector

Hampshire Pewter

Online only

Hampshire Pewter is a family-operated business that handcrafts pewter objects, including ornaments. Our favorites are the New Hampshire-themed selections, like the Mount Washington and Live Free or Die ornaments. Personalized engraving is available for every option.

Christmas Loft

2028 White Mountain Highway, Conway, and 259 Main Street, North. In-store or online. 

These shops are open all year and offer thousands of holiday decorations, including a staggering choice of ornaments, all sold in padded gift boxes. Some of our favorites include the Hand Blown Glass New Hampshire Lobster Ornament and the Blue Skier New Hampshire Ornament.

Photo courtesy of Stacy Milbouer.

New Hampshire State House Visitor Center

107 North Main Street, Concord. In-store or online. 

Each year, the State House releases an ornament. This year it’s the 2024 NH State House Ornament our 24 senators and their historic senate chamber where they’ve gathered for the past 205 years. You can also purchase ornaments from previous years.

For the vinyl fan

The Infectious Groove

 76 NH Route 101A. In-store only.

This store is geared toward music lovers and collectors, offering several thousand used and new titles, as well as stereo equipment and compact discs. We had our eye on the 1987 “Let it Loose” album by Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine and a mint 1978 Bob Marley & the Wailers’ “Kaya.”

Music Connection

1711 South Willow Street, Manchester. In-store and online.

This brick-and-mortar record store has an extensive selection of new and used vinyl records including independent exclusive releases. They also offer compact discs, 45 rpm (7-inch) singles, and cassettes. We love that they also carry movies in DVD and Blu-ray formats. Our post-punk fan is going to love the Cure’s 1989 “Disintegration” album.

Pitchfork Records & Stereo

2 South Main Street, Concord. In-store and online. 

A downtown Concord must, Pitchfork, according to their motto, has been “rockin’ & rollin’” for 50 years. They have a huge selection of new and used compact discs, DVDs, vinyl records, and stereo equipment. Genres include rock and pop, jazz and blues, folk and country, reggae, world music, classical, comedy, and soundtracks, all neatly organized. We also dig their merch, which includes -shirts with their logo and Grant Wood’s iconic “American Gothic.”

For the kiddo

Treehouse Toys

143 Market Street, Portsmouth. In-store only.

According to its website, this family-run store is dedicated to specialty, high-quality toys that “inspire imagination and cater to individual tastes. ” It carries Schleich animal figures, Papo toys from France, and Calico Critters. 

Whirlygigs Toy Shop

107 Water Street, Exeter. In-store only.

This downtown shop might be the closest you’ll get to Santa’s workshop. For 40 years, Whirlygigs has sold everything from classic toys to the latest kiddo crazes. They also specialize in quality brands like Breyer, the producer of the iconic horse figurines, Brio, and Gund, to name a few. We were especially charmed by the Llorens baby dolls imported from Spain and the Estes Rocket Science Starter Kit for the little scientists in our lives. 

Noggin Factory!

53 Washington Street, Dover. In-store and online.

We’ll admit that we love going into this store as much as the kids do. There’s so much to touch, see, and play with, of course. We were especially drawn to the chubby, red Rody Inflatable Bounce Horse and the Glow-in-the-Dark Build-A-Fort. This store, which is celebrating its 20th birthday, is stocked with toys, games, books, and educational kits.

Willikers! Books & Toys

13 Market Street, Portsmouth In-store only.

This quaint shop has been a downtown mainstay since 1978, supplying generations of children with delightful books and toys which they proudly claim are “unabashedly old fashion.” They carry New Hampshire-made products, including White Mountain Puzzles, Harrisville Designs Potholder Loom kits, and Far Out Bubbles.

Photo courtesy of Stacy Milbouer.

Toy Chest

2703 White Mountain Highway, North Conway. In-store and online. 

This is an independent toy store in the heart of the White Mountains that has been around since 1986. It sells puzzles, games, crafts, and toys for kids. We can’t resist their selection of plush puppets and the adorable Melissa & Doug Puppet Theater so children and maybe adults can put on a show.

This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.