Charlotte Holiday Gift Guide: 40 Local Ideas

Every gift on this list is from a business or nonprofit in this directory, which means it’s from the Charlotte metro and the money stays here. They’re sorted by who you’re buying for, cheapest first within each group, with no prices, because prices change and every shop below will tell you. Facts about each business come from its own listing or site. The lights and markets guide has where to shop in person.

For the cook

1. Apple butter from The Packing House in Monroe, the coffee bar and general store built on it. 2. Elderberry syrup from J’s Homemade, small-batch and organic. 3. A charcuterie board from Graze & Piece. 4. A wine from Cellar Door Wine Shop in Concord or a bottle of Mediterranean-style red from Kefi Vineyards. 5. Rakia from Vetus Distillery, the Bulgarian spirit made in Monroe. 6. A steak box from Meat Mafia in Lake Wylie, restaurant-grade cuts. 7. Custom cupcakes from The Sweet Life. 8. A gift card to Tutti’s Italian Market.

For the one who has everything

9. A custom suit fitting from Pearce Bespoke, 45 minutes, delivered in four weeks. 10. Monogrammed glassware from The Crystal Shoppe. 11. A Persian rug from Rug Source. 12. A restored antique from Main St. Antiques, the 160,000-square-foot mall in Mooresville. 13. A piece from McSwain’s, three generations of craftsmen. 14. Jewelry from Norman Hege or Ellis Jewelers. 15. A headshot session from mjwphoto, for the one changing jobs.

For the outdoors person

16. An annual parking pass to the Whitewater Center, $45 for the year, per its FAQ, and 40 miles of trails. 17. A Ramsey Creek Beach season pass, $52 for county residents. 18. A shoe fitting at Charlotte Running Company. 19. A tune-up or an e-bike from Ride-A-Bike. 20. A feeder and seed from Wild Birds Unlimited. 21. A day’s rental from Wave Sandy. 22. Deck furniture from Kasby’s. 23. A membership to Catawba Lands Conservancy, which protects the places the rest of this list uses.

For the kids

24. A session of swim lessons from Water Babies or SafeSplash. 25. A coding class from iCode. 26. A School of Rock session at Fort Mill or Waxhaw. 27. A month of taekwondo at Golden Eagle. 28. An art class at Kidcreate. 29. A Beat The Bomb mission at Beat The Bomb, for the teenager. 30. A book from Better Bound Bookstore, which funds youth programs. 31. Art supplies from Blue Goose.

For the one who wants an experience

32. Tickets to the Carolina Renaissance Festival for next fall. 33. A Cannon Ballers ticket package from the Cannon Ballers. 34. A show at Cain Center for the Arts or Blumenthal. 35. Improv tickets at CATCh, $10 each, so buy ten. 36. A karting session at Trackhouse Motorplex. 37. A walking tour from Uptown Funk Tour. 38. A massage at Elements Massage or a night at the Davidson Village Inn.

For the one who doesn’t want anything

39. A donation in their name to Second Harvest Food Bank, Heart Math Tutoring, the Carolina Raptor Center or any of the organizations in the volunteer guide. 40. A record store gift card from the shops in the vinyl guide, which is a gift to them and to a Charlotte institution.

For the homebody

Beyond the forty: a fireplace-side chair from Innbo in Cornelius, Scandinavian and modern with free delivery; a custom closet consult from The Closet Niche; window treatments from Bloomin’ Blinds; a house-plant haul from Christy’s Nursery; a home-theater setup from KS Audio Video. These are the gifts that a couple gives each other, which is a category the forty doesn’t cover.

For the pet

A day of daycare at Social Pet Hotel or Paws on the Pasture, a grooming at Dilworth Dog Grooming, and, for the family that wants a dog, a donation to Piedmont Animal Rescue or the Humane Society of Union County in the dog’s future name. The dog owner guide has the rest.

How to shop it

The Southern Christmas Show in mid-November for the browse, the ring-town Main Streets on Small Business Saturday, the artists’ studio sales in early December, the antique malls the week before Christmas. Most of the shops above ship; the experiences email a gift certificate the same day, which makes them the December 24 answer. And the shopping directory sorts every shop by town for the gift that has to be picked up on the way home.

For the teacher, the coach and the neighbor

The small ones: a coffee card from the shops in the roasters guide, a dozen from The Donut Shack, a jar from the farmers market, a bar of something from Downstairs if you’re west, cookies from the bakery guide. And a donation to the school’s foundation in the teacher’s name, which the schools guide lists by county.

The wrapping

Flowers Plus for the wreath on the door, Alpha-Lit for the marquee letters on the lawn, and the UPS Store for the one that has to ship. Buy by December 15 for anything custom; the fitters and the jewelers are booked after. Found a local gift we’ve missed? Tell us; next year’s list is 50.