If you’re a holiday shopping procrastinator like me, you’re probably still struggling to check off your shopping list (or haven’t even started it). To shop for a variety of Minnesota-made giftables, check out these last-minute holiday markets in Minneapolis this weekend:
Northeast Farmers Market Winter Market: This monthly farmer’s market features handmade goods by local artisans, including Idlerwild macrame, hand-lettered prints by Athena Pelton, Everthine Jewelry, letterpress stationery by Vandalia Street Press, Isadore Nut Company, The Twisted Shrub, and many more, plus craft cocktails, local beer, meat raffles, live vinyl DJ sets, and kids activities. See the full vendor list. 4-7 p.m. Wed., Dec. 21, Solar Arts by Chowgirls, 711 15th Ave. NE., Minneapolis
Holidazzle Village: The third annual holiday market at Loring Park features goods by local makers Faribault Woolen Mill, Hagen & Oats, The Beer Dabbler store, My Sister, Merchant Leather, Love Your Melon, Makwa Studios, Mademoiselle Miel, and many more (click here for a full list of vendors), plus a wide selection of prepared food and warm drinks, an ice rink, and daily live entertainment. (Daily through Fri., Dec. 23, Loring Park, 1382 Willow St., Minneapolis, holidazzle.com)
The Pop-up Shop: Shop handmade goods by local artisans and original art by emerging Twin Cities artists at this pop-up event presented by Sound Verite Records, Out Us Coll., and local electro-soul band ZuluZuluu. 6-9 p.m. Wed., Dec. 21, City Wide Artists, 1506 Nicollet Ave., Minneapolis, citywideartists.com
MAD Holiday Pop-up: The second annual shopping event hosted by design studio MAD features an impressively curated selection of local makers, including Annika Kaplan Jewelry, A MANO ceramics, illustrator Kate Worum, Dust and Form Ceramics, clothing lines Winsome Goods and Hackwith Design House, leather and woodworking studio Solid Manufacturing Co., floral studio Munster Rose, Neal Jewelry, and Martha McQuade’s ScarfShop. Noon-8 p.m. Thu., Dec. 22, MAD Studios, 2920 Talmage Ave. SE, Suite 290, Minneapolis, mad–work.com
Showroom’s Last-Minute Holiday Shopping Party: Uptown boutique Showroom boasts one of the largest selection of Minnesota-made clothing and jewelry, making it a great place to shop local. It’s hosting a last-minute shopping party featuring 3 Jäg design (jewelry), Kindred Folk (women’s clothing), StormSister Spatique (skincare), Tessa Louise (women’s clothing), and Goldfine Jewelry, plus when you spend $100 or more, you can receive a $100 gift certificate for your next purchase. 6-9 p.m. Thu., Dec. 22, Showroom, 615 W. Lake St., Minneapolis, 612-345-7391, showroommpls.com
Last Call: A Holiday Market: There’s a whole slew of cool, Minnesota-made gifts at this last-minute holiday market. Being that it IS the Food Building, there are plenty of edibles: Food Building vendors Red Table Meat Co., the Lone Grazer Creamery, and Baker’s Field Flour & Bread, plus handmade jam and cookies, box gifts featuring MN-made products from Minny & Paul, jewelry by Larissa Loden and Everthine, ceramics by A MANO, letterpress cards from Bench Pressed, activewear and branded products by Still Kickin, natural bath salts by Nell’s Remedies, and vegan lipstick by Elixery. Bonus: Fulton will be on hand with craft brews for sale. 3-9 p.m. Fri., Dec. 23., Food Building, 1401 Marshall St. NE., Minneapolis, eventbrite.com
russell+hazel Holiday Pop-up: A homegrown brand that started with stylish office accessories, russell+hazel recently expanded to a North Loop storefront showcasing a variety of well-designed goods that cross many facets of its customers’ lives. It’s popping up with a special holiday assortment at the new Hewing Hotel on Christmas Eve—giving you a great opportunity to try a craft cocktail or snack from the hotel’s restaurant, Tullibee. 11 a.m.-3 p.m., Sat., Dec. 24, Hewing Hotel, 300 N. Washington Ave., Minneapolis, hewinghotel.com
SooVAC Craft Market: Support Minnesota artists and makers by shopping from a huge selection of locally crafted prints, ceramics, jewelry, home goods, and much more in SooVAC’s annual holiday shop. 11 a.m.- 4 p.m. daily through Dec. 31, 2909 Bryant Ave. S., Ste. 101, Minneapolis, soovac.org
Northside Holiday Boutique: This holiday pop-up at Gaviidae Common sells handmade goods by more than 25 local businesses and artists from north Minneapolis, including clothing, jewelry, art, and beauty products. Daily through Fri., Dec. 23, Gaviidae Common, 2nd level, 651 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis
Local Makers’ Market at Ridgedale: Shop Minnesota-made food goods by Isadore Nut Company, Thumbs Cookies, North Mallow, and Maddy & Maize at this holiday pop-up. Daily through Sun., Dec. 25, Ridgedale Center (kiosk located near Santa), 12401 Wayzata Blvd., Minnetonka, 952-541-4864, ridgedalecenter.com
I’ve also rounded up some of the newest, most unique, and most Minnesotan gift ideas to come through my inbox this month:
From Eat Street, with Love cookbook
Courtesy Zeus Jones
For their annual holiday gift, hip creative agency Zeus Jones compiled their favorite recipes from more than 20 diverse restaurants that neighbor its Eat Street headquarters. The food-rich section of Nicollet Avenue includes longtime eateries Quang Restaurant, Rainbow Chinese, and Jasmine Deli as well as newer additions such as GYST Fermentation Bar, The Copper Hen, and Pimento Jamaican Kitchen. Oh, and a proceeds of book sales will go to the Whittier Alliance, a non-profit community organization dedicated to supporting the Eat Street neighborhood. The book is available at Eat Street shop Greater Goods, Magers & Quinn Booksellers, the Store at Mia, and online at fromeatstreetwith.love for $24.95 (though any online orders won’t ship until the week of December 26).
J.W. Hulme Coggins Tote
Recently, J.W. Hulme, Askov Finlayson, and the Bachelor Farmer hosted a book reading by New York City–based menswear expert and author David Coggins (who hails from Minnesota) and restauranteur Taavo Somer, to celebrate their new books (Coggins’s Men and Style, and Somer’s Freemans). To commemorate his book, Minnesota heritage manufacturer J.W. Hulme Co. recently launched the Coggins Tote, a limited-edition bag co-designed by the author is handcrafted from J.W. Hulme’s signature Saddle Heritage leather and accessorized with a striped shoulder strap. Since only 50 were made of the style, the initial run already sold out—but the brand is making the $795 bag available by special order by contacting customer service at sales@jwhulmeco.com. The books make great gifts for the stylish guy in your life, too.
Uncle Finlayson’s Rummage Sale
Courtesy askov finlayson
Speaking of Askov Finlayson, the North Loop menswear shop is celebrating its Northwoods heritage with the launch of Uncle Finlalyson’s Rummage Sale, a selection of hand-picked vintage goodies that evoke nostalgia for Minnesota winters past. The shop—which exists both online and in-store—features items such as a Dayton-Hudson’s Santa Bear from 1989, a Hamm’s Beer mirrored sign, and a signed hockey stick by Minnesota North Star Mike Modano. Askov Finlayson, 204 N. First St., Minneapolis, askovfinlayson.com
Minnesota Subscription & Box Services
Minny & Paul box goods, photo: 2nd Truth photography
It’s never too late to sign something up for a box of MN-made goodies. Several startups have launched over the past year in the Twin Cities offering curated boxes of locally made goods. MN Box features boxes available at various subscription levels, randomly filled with MN-made goods based on personal preferences. Brands include Da Bomb Bath Fizzers, K’ul Chocolate, and Elixery lipstick. Minny & Paul is a non-subscription, a la carte box service with various themes (home, bridal, and personal care) available with the click of a button featuring brands such as Nell’s Remedies, Martha McQuade, and dpHUE Shop Minny & Paul in person at this Friday’s “Last Call” holiday market at the Food Building (more details below). For more, read my blog post rounding up Minnesota’s box services for Minnesota Monthly‘s style blog. minnyandpaul.com and mn-box.com
For the about-town foodie: A Gift Card to Café/Restaurant Alma, Tullibee, Esker Grove, or Young Joni
esker grove, Courtesy walker art center
When all else fails, why not a gift card? Minneapolis has been awash in high-profile restaurant openings recently, and a gift card provides your favorite foodie with the opportunity to check them out. There’s Restaurant Alma—newly reopened after an extensive remodel—and its new casual offshoot, Café Alma, which features craft cocktails by Bittercute, a coffee shop and bakery, and a menu of simple and sophisticated dishes derived from seasonal produce and sustainably sourced meat, fish, and dairy. Tullibee is an upscale restaurant housed within the new Hewing Hotel, which features a Northwoods-meets-Scandinavian-inspired menu and a high-end bar (also helmed by Bittercube, natch). Esker Grove is the Walker Art Center’s new restaurant and cocktail bar, which features a menu by Doug Flicker of Piccolo fame and a cocktail program headed up by mixologist Jon Olson, formerly of Norseman Distillery. And Young Joni is the long-awaited restaurant by Ann Kim (of Pizzeria Lola) in Northeast Minneapolis that features an eclectic menu that’s one part pan-Asian, one part pizzeria, plus a speakeasy-style back bar.
And for more locally made holiday shopping, here is a list of stores specializing in Minnesota-made goods:
Uptown MN: Ridgedale Center, 12625 Wayzata Blvd., Suite 230, Minnetonka, 952-546-1605, uptownmn.com
i like you: 501 1st Ave. NE #1, Minneapolis, 612-208-0249, i-like-you-minneapolis.myshopify.com
i like you too: 416 Snelling Ave. S., St. Paul, 651-340-9710, i-like-you-minneapolis.myshopify.com
Minnesota Makers: 4180 W. Broadway Ave., Robbinsdale, 612-564-8056, minnesotamakers.net
Wild Ruffle, 16186 Main Ave SE #100, Prior Lake, 952-381-7405, wildruffle.com
Golden Rule Collective, 350 Water St., Excelsior, 612-598-2098, goldenrulecollective.com
Gallery 360: 3011 W. 50th St., Minneapolis, 612-925-2400, gallery360mpls.com
The Textile Center: 3000 University Ave. SE #100, Minneapolis, 612-436-0464, textilecentermn.org
Showroom: 615 W. Lake St., Minneapolis, 612-345-7391, showroommpls.com
Cliché: 2403 Lyndale Ave. S., Minneapolis, 612-870-0420, clichempls.com
Hazel & Rose: 945 Broadway St NE #220, Minneapolis, 612-788-4178, shophazelandrose.com
Semblance: 204 N. Minnesota St., New Ulm, 507-304-0377 & 611 N. Riverfront Dr., Mankato, 507-441-1115, shopsemblance.com
