“Shop small.” That’s the motto on the Facebook page for Small Business Saturday, a shopping day that has followed the traditional day-after-Thanksgiving shopping marathon since 2010. Here in Harvard, shopping is pretty much “shopping small” every day, but exploring our local shops during the holiday season can result in finding gifts that are both unusual and unique to Harvard.
Harvard General Store
The General Store is stocked with holiday and winter gifts, such as ornaments and decorations, as well as mittens, hats, and cocoa mix. Harvard-themed mugs, sweatshirts, and tote bags sit alongside “HGS Pub Night” T-shirts and beer glasses.
Locally made products are easily found, including soaps, skin-care products, and note cards by local artists. Gifts for the whole family include aromatherapy warming cushions, handmade jewelry, unusual toys and games, and even dog collar bells, good for scaring away any pesky bears.
Fruitlands
Fruitlands, celebrating its centennial with the popular “100 Objects, 100 Stories, 100 Years” exhibit, is selling a commemorative book containing photographs and descriptions of the 100 objects, essays by professional writers, and stories of people’s personal experiences and memories of Fruitlands Museum.
The book is available at the museum gift shop, as well as online from the Fruitlands website. Also at the gift shop, you’ll find jewelry, handmade scarves and jackets, herb teas, Native American crafts, Shaker boxes, and other fine handcrafts by local artists. New to the store this year are fuZing fused glass platters, bowls, and belt buckles by Maine artist Hope Murphy; ceramics from Two Rivers Ceramic Studio in Newbury; and tableware by Grenadier Pottery in Monterey, Massachusetts.
There is a large selection of books relating to the Fruitlands experiment and to the Shakers, a Native American graphic cartoon book titled “Trickster,” and children’s books by local writers, such as Jamie Harper’s “Miles to Go.” Gift certificates are available and may be used in both the gift shop and the cafe. During the winter season, the gift shop is open on weekends only, from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Harvard Historical Society
For gifts related to Harvard’s history, the Harvard Historical Society sells “The Harvard Album,” Dianne Newton’s book about historical Harvard, which is chock-full of vintage photos, as well as Robert Anderson’s history of Harvard, “Directions of a Town.”
The society also sells Shaker items, such as a Christmas music CD and book, and reproductions of Eleanor Merrifield’s hand-colored photos of five scenes of early Harvard Shaker Village, suitable for framing. The HHS is open Monday and Tuesday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. or by appointment. Orders can also be taken by email; contact Judy Warner at curator@harvardhistory.org.
Fiber Loft
The Fiber Loft is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, and the store is brimming with options for the knitters, spinners, and weavers on your list. A large selection of yarns includes local alpaca yarn from Groton and local handspun yarn from Ashburnham. Treat a knitter to a new bag to hold knitting projects or a locally made yarn bowl to keep yarn from tangling. For those who don’t knit, the store has many finished items, such as fingerless mittens, shawls, scarves, hats, and rugs of Groton-grown alpaca.
There are prepackaged kits for those who would like to learn to knit, and this year the store is carrying knitting-themed jewelry and mugs. In the newly renovated upstairs rooms, you’ll find full-size looms and spinning wheels for the serious weaver or spinner, as well as a plethora of weaving yarns and spinning fiber. There are also gifts for kids, such as knitting and potholder kits and small looms. The store has a wish list where regular customers can identify gifts they’d like to receive from family or friends. Gift certificates are available, either for use in the store or for classes.
Photographs
Photographs are a gift that captures time. Harvard Press photographer Lisa Aciukewicz sells reprints of town events, including Bromfield spring and fall sports, the Lions Club fall festival, first day of school, graduation, Bare Hill Pond Triathlon, and many more. Says Aciukewicz, “Don’t rely on newspaper clippings to preserve your memories. Prints don’t fade, yellow, or tatter.” To view the Press’s photo gallery, go to a2z.smugmug.com/Harvard-Press.
Harvard resident Charles Kronauer also offers photographs of views of Harvard, as well as the rest of the world. His photos can be seen at kronauerphoto.smugmug.com, and Charles can be reached at ckronauer@charter.net.
CK Bikes
New to Harvard this holiday season is CK Bikes, located in a section of the basement of the General Store. Both new and used bikes are for sale, as well as all sorts of bike accessories. Helmets, sunglasses, and a small line of apparel are also available, as are gift certificates. Bike shop winter hours are weekends from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Wednesday through Friday, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
J.U.M.P.
A great gift for hikers and backpackers is the J.U.M.P. paracord survival bracelet (the “J.U.M.P. rope”), handcrafted by one of the hikers who participate in this educational nonprofit’s mountain excursions. The rope consists of about 6 feet of high-strength kernmantle climbing rope, daisy-chained and secured with a buckle, so it’s wearable as a bracelet. The rope comes in a variety of colors and will be available both at the General Store and by order on the J.U.M.P. website. All proceeds go toward J.U.M.P. trip expenses.
Westward Orchards
At Westward Orchards, the gift shop section of the store features holiday-themed tableware, candles, ornaments, and many more decorative items. Apparel gift choices run from pashminas and cashmere scarves to Westward sweatshirts and T-shirts. Hand-painted pottery, stuffed animals, and handmade soaps share the well-stocked shelves, and beautiful glass hummingbird feeders hang from the ceiling. Gift baskets can be made up with items chosen from the store, and the perfect time to browse for those items will be at Westward’s annual Holiday Open House, to be held this year from Dec. 5 through Dec. 7.
Pies are available by order until Dec. 14. Varieties include the standard apple, pumpkin, and pecan, as well as the less traditional but popular chocolate cream and key lime pies. Quantities of cider donuts can be ordered in advance for holiday guests. And there are still lots of apples in the store if you want to do the baking yourself!
Carlson Orchards
Nothing says Harvard like apples, and Carlson Orchards has a large variety of apple-themed gifts, from apple pancake mix to apple cookbooks. Carlson’s will make up gift baskets to order with items from their store and has some prepackaged gift baskets available. In addition, they ship gift boxes of apples to anywhere in the country.
This year, Eleanor Carlson’s cookbook, “Favorite Recipes of Mother Carlson,” compiled by her grandson Sam Smith, is once again available at the store after being out of print for years. Smith put together the cookbook to honor his grandmother as part of his senior project at Bromfield, and it includes photos of the Carlson family and the old roadside stand on Ayer Road. His favorite recipe? “Swedish Apple Pie,” answered Smith with certainty. That pie may not be available in the store, but there are many other pies in the freezer, including Burgundy pie (blueberry and raspberry) and squash pie. Pies can also be ordered up to Dec. 23 for pickup on Dec. 24. Sparkling cider, regular cider, and cranberry-mac cider are available, and of course, lots and lots of apples, including bags of utility apples for baking.
Gingersnap Bakery
Give the gift of cake with Gingersnap Bakery’s Bûche de Noël, “holiday present” cake (in the form of a gift-wrapped box), or “stained glass” cake, adorned with jewel-like poinsettias or Stars of David. The bakery also makes sparkly holiday cupcakes, a snowman cake, and a chocolate peppermint cake. Pastries, cookies, cheesecakes, and tarts are also available. The bakery caters corporate parties, and gifts of baked goods can be shipped if ordered before Dec. 12. More information is available at www.gingersnapbakery.com.
Christmas spirits
Wine and beer for holiday parties or gifts can be found in Harvard at both the General Store and The Grape Vine on Ayer Road. General Store owner Scott Hayward is planning to hold multiple wine tastings in December, with wines in all price ranges geared toward holiday festivities. Hayward said he’s gotten a lot of good feedback on his holiday season wine tastings, because it “gives people a chance to not make a mistake.” The Grape Vine carries a large selection of wine and beer, including gift boxes of stouts, ales, and champagnes.
Beyond Harvard
Beyond the borders of Harvard, you’ll find the wares of Harvard residents in stores such as Sue George’s Harvard Sweet Boutique in Hudson, and Periwinkle Glassworks in West Acton. Periwinkle features works by local artists, and Harvard is well represented by Judy Romatelli, Julie Chadwick, Cathryn Noyes, Lauren Slater, and HES art teacher Sharon Chandler-Correnty.
And, last but not least, many of our local businesses offer gift cards and certificates for everything from exercise or cooking classes to pizza. So save some driving time this year and help keep our local business community thriving—shop “small!”
