NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
Support Local Makers Who are Making a Difference in Crescent City
Rumiano Cheese and Fog Bank Clothing Company are two Crescent City-based companies where history, innovation and giving back are part of the business plan. Rumiano Cheese is the oldest family-owned cheese company in California, established in 1919, and offers an array of Redwoods Coast cheese selections, gift baskets and even kitchenware online. The Rumiano Brothers are considered the original developers of Dry Monterey Jack Cheese, and their The OG Dry Jack is a popular favorite. Fog Bank Clothing, owned by three friends who wanted to make a difference in their community, sells attire online and in their new retail shop in downtown Crescent City. A portion of every item they sell benefits youth and adults sports sponsorships and scholarships.
Indulge in Eureka’s Artisanal Bean-to-Bar Chocolate
In addition to iconic redwoods and stunning coastal landscapes, in Eureka visitors can enjoy traditional Queen Anne Victorian architecture, glassblowing shops and bean-to-bar Dick Taylor Craft Chocolates. Adam Dick and Dustin Taylor create the award-winning single-origin, two-ingredient chocolate over a three-week process in their small factory in Eureka. The shop features small batch bars varying from milk and dark chocolates to gourmet flavors along with drinking chocolates. Free shipping is available on all online orders.
Discover Small Businesses in Gold Country’s Tuolumne County
Downtown Sonora in Tuolumne County has eclectic shopping, museums, historical monuments and local merchants. Motherlode Grown is known for organic agriculture, handmade goods and gift baskets. Seven Sisters Soap & Candle Co features handcrafted candles and sustainable soaps. Indigeny Reserve’s latest selection of organic cider brews is available for online purchase and shipping throughout the U.S., making it possible to create an at-home hard cider tasting.
Shop Like a Local in North Lake Tahoe
The North Lake Tahoe shopping experience extends across five districts and features a combination of goods by artisans and makers, chefs and outdoor gear gurus. Discover a range of boho-inspired items at Wild Society in Kings Beach, then head to Well Being for stones, crystals, candles and more. Visit Tahoe Trunk Show and North Tahoe Arts for incredible works by local artists and don’t miss Keoki Gallery in the Village at Squaw Valley for iconic images of Lake Tahoe. Supporting small businesses in North Lake Tahoe has never been easier due to a gift card purchasing portal on www.NLTRA.org, featuring over 70 local businesses.
Shop Artisan Goods at The Barlow in Sonoma County
Popular for its breathtaking vineyards and wineries, Sonoma County is home to The Barlow, a 12.5 acre open-air marketplace in Sebastopol featuring some of the region’s best chefs, vintners and artisans. With over 30 makers and merchants, visitors can find gourmet goods and products unique to the area from businesses such as female-owned and “2020 Distillery of the Year” Spirit Works Distillery, Barge North Company and Williams Cofield Cheesemakers, Sonoma County’s first British style cheesemaker. To learn more about online and safe social distancing shopping, visit The Barlow’s website for details.
Unique Finds in Napa Valley
Small businesses such as clothing boutiques, antique emporiums, artisanal food stores and tasting rooms play a vital role in the makeup of Downtown Napa. Napa Valley Vintage Home offers a wide variety of seasonally inspired local and European artisanal goods. Napa General Store features goods from local purveyors and wine barrel furniture. One-of-a-kind gourmet gifts are available at Oxbow Public Market, ranging from exquisite chocolates and desserts to wine and craft spirits. The Olive Press features lotions, extra virgin olive oils and olive oil-based products made in the U.S. Oprah’s favorite English Muffins, made at Model Bakery, are available for purchase online with nationwide shipping.
Gualala Arts’ Winter Wonderland Returns to Mendonoma
Kick off the holiday season with the Gualala Arts’ Winter Wonderland located in Gualala, a town on the stretch of coast between northern Sonoma County and southern Mendocino county dubbed Mendonoma. Opening Friday, November 23 and continuing daily (except Thanksgiving Day) through Thursday, December 24, handcrafted goods and homemade gourmet items will be available to purchase before the holidays.
Give the Gift of San Francisco Cuisine
Shuk Shuka is an online marketplace and vibrant kitchen that started offering home delivery of Middle Eastern-inspired herbs, dips, breads and more to the greater San Francisco Bay Area in October 2020. Shuk Shuka is run by a team of hospitality professionals with a shared goal of connecting people of different backgrounds and delivering delicious cultural dishes in a high quality, healthy, modern and sustainable way. Daily Driver is the Bay Area's only organic wood-fired bagel shop and creamery, by the team behind Toluma Farms and Tomales Farmstead Cheese Company. Perfect for holiday gifts, DailyDriver.com will soon feature an online Holiday Shop featuring cheese boards in a box, holiday pies, bagel stuffing kits, ghee/butter bundles, bagel bundles, coffee and scone kits, and more. These organic, artisan goods along with plenty of other treats will be available to pick up in San Francisco in the Dogpatch throughout the holiday season.
Give the Gift of Love from Oakland and the East Bay
Share what makes Oakland and San Francisco’s East Bay restaurants so delicious with Local Food Adventures “Local Love Gift Boxes.” There are four specially curated themed box options, all of which include food tour favorites from local Bay Area businesses and can be sent with free nationwide shipping just in time for the holidays.
Support Female-Owned Businesses in the Tri-Valley
The Tri-Valley region is a great place to discover unique artists and designers, including vintage and trendy boutiques filled with local treasures that can be purchased in-store or online. Madeline Hart of Sew Femme is a queer Latinx who creates inclusive modern embroidery with messages reflective of the LGBTQ+ community and STEM enthusiasts. The Made Line features a colorful collection of handmade ceramic dishware by Jessica O’Hearn. Alyssa Tenice’s Vault California is a black-owned clothing, gifts and accessories boutique offering contemporary, everyday styles and clean beauty products.
CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
Gift Cozy Alpaca Attire and Goods from Vacaville's Menagerie Hill Ranch
Menagerie Hill Ranch raises alpacas from some of the most well-known bloodlines in the country and uses the alpacas’ fiber to make soft roving and yarn for use by spinners, knitters and crafters, as well as specialty products that make wonderful holiday gifts. Socks, apparel, tote bags, felted alpacas, alpaca shaped goat's milk soap, dryer balls and even alpaca print cloth face masks are among the offerings available to order online. The owners, Deb and Kirk, are also available for virtual shopping appointments.
Shop Specialty Goods at The Foundry in Old Town Clovis
Nestled along the storefronts in Old Town Clovis is The Foundry Cooperative, a community-based initiative featuring a curated collection of goods by seven gifted artisans in the Central Valley. Shop handmade pottery, jewelry, art and soaps from Prickly Pear Farms, CnG Pottery, Originals by Sarah Young, Legacy of Love Creations, Amber House Soaps, Poppy Beach Jewelry and Jen Bell Art & Lettering.
Baker's Bacon Holiday Gift Sets Available to Order from Monterey Shop
Baker's Bacon is an artisanal, premium product from award-winning Chef Tony Baker. Previously only available to high-end restaurant chefs, his bacon is now available to consumers in two styles: British-style Uncured Back Bacon and Dry-Cured Double-Smoked Bacon. Chef Tony’s bacon is made in small batches at a California smokehouse with sustainably-raised heritage breed pork and a proprietary recipe. Gift boxes are $42 plus shipping, and are available to order online.
Discover Local Treasures in Carmel-by-the-Sea
Carmel-by-the-Sea is full of talented makers, hidden treasures and restaurants lining the quaint one-square mile village. Shop must-have items from Chartreuse, Pat Areias Sterling, Thinker Toys, Bee, Bark & Moss and more. The vibrant House of Cardoon offers a curated mix of accessories and furniture including textiles and leather goods available for purchase online.
Unearth All-Natural Goods from San Luis Obispo County
San Luis Obispo County is a melting pot of small family-owned businesses producing some of the region’s finest culinary ingredients and wellness products. Marley Family Seaweeds harvests wild Big Sur wakame, kombu and nori in the traditional Japanese method, resulting in high-quality flavorful seaweed. Big Sur nori, Big Sur seaweed ramen kits and San Simeon kombu are available for purchase online. The Luffa Farm grows and sells all-natural luffas and handcrafted baths and herbal products perfect for clean beauty enthusiasts. Known for its small-batch cheeses made from goats and cow’s milk, turophiles can experience Stepladder Ranch & Creamery through its wide selection of cheeses, bundles and subscription services available for online purchase.
Savor Olallieberry Treats in Cambria
In Cambria, olallieberries are a treat that keeps visitors coming back year-round. The Linn family, owners of Linn’s Fruit Bin, Easy as Pie Café and other local small businesses, grow their own olallieberries on their farm in Cambria and create a variety of delicacies. Linn’s is famous for their olallieberry pies, but they also have olallieberry muffins, sauces, preserves, syrups, vinaigrettes and even salsas available for purchase online.
Gift the Cook in Your Life a Handcrafted Cutting Board from Visalia
Visalia’s local shopping scene is an ideal destination for purchasing handcrafted gifts, including hardwood cutting boards by maker David Daniels of Absolution Woodworks. His cutting boards, made from sustainably sourced domestic and exotic hardwoods - often salvaged from orchard removals where trees would otherwise be burned or turned to mulch - are available to order online with free domestic shipping.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Bring Los Angeles Flavors to Someone’s Door with Porto’s Bake At Home Pastries
Porto’s Bake At Home line delivers the taste of the iconic Los Angeles bakery to your front door, making it a great gift option for the foodie on your gift list. Bake at Home options include popular sweets like the Cheese Rolls® and Refugiados® (guava and cheese strudel) to savory Potato Balls® and classics like chocolate chip cookies. Pastries arrive unbaked and frozen, with detailed instructions and parchment paper to bake them on.
Hunt for California-Inspired Gifts in Oceanside
Located between Los Angeles and San Diego is the New England-style harbor and beaches of Oceanside. Pacific Coast Spirits creates a selection of grain-to-glass house-made spirits, available to enjoy in-person or through online shopping. Rising Co., a newly formed community co-op space features artisan goods from local makers including leather goods, organic candles, vintage finds and stylish masks.
Shop Small in San Diego
San Diego’s year-round sunshine, walkable neighborhoods and unique small businesses make it especially idyllic for holiday shopping. Jackie’s Jams features healthy California fruit-based jams available for in-store and online purchase. The Cravory boasts the ultimate cookie experience with flavors ranging from traditional chocolate chip to mango and chili, with the most popular flavors and ready-to-bake kits available online. W.D. Dickinson is an organic farm, mercantile and event venue focusing on seasonal organic heirloom fruit, vegetables and herbs, as well as botanical facial steams and soaps that can be ordered online.
Note: As communities re-open after COVID-19-related closures, some parks, businesses and attractions may still be closed or have new protocols in place. Please verify local guidelines and regulations for all destinations and hours and availability of individual businesses before publishing. Check out Visit California’s Responsible Travel Hub for guidance on how visitors can travel within California safely.