As we all winding down towards the Christmas holidays it’s a really good time to take a look around for special gifts you can find locally. For a lot of small shops Christmas purchases can be a huge part of their yearly income so don’t overlook some of the unique and interesting finds close to home.
Over the last few years Cork city has been transforming the Grand Parade area of the city in to a Christmas wonderland; there are food stalls, a Ferris wheel and a magical light show ‘Glow’ through Bishop Lucey Park. Every evening when I pass the huge glowing wheel it just makes the city feel alive and fun.
Christmas Shopping
Over the holiday season there are many craft fairs and Christmas markets that pop up just for the season. One market that runs from now until Christmas is the Fair Alternative. They are based in the Unitarian church hall off Princes Street.
There are also several great craft shops around the city that are well worth a stop to find unique gifts. Remember that buying from a small business has a huge impact, EVERY sale is appreciated!
If you go a bit into the suburbs you can find Cork Craft and Design in Douglas. This is a pretty special business; it is a co-op of different small craft producers with each of them giving some of their time to help run the shop every month. There is everything for pottery, to wood work, prints, notebooks and much more in the shop. They are all made by local craft people.
Closer to the city centre you will find Badly Made Books for all your notebook needs (they are just a couple of minutes from the huge Ferris Wheel!).
For soapy goodness you can find Suds Johnson in the Fair Alternative right up to Christmas (Instagram here).
I’ve still got a few Christmas gifts to get, so this week I’m going to make a little tour around some of my favourite spots to find something special and unique. As well as getting fantastic gifts hopefully my purchase can also help a small business :-)
Have you found some special local producers that you support year round?
This year to assist small business in rural Australia where drought and fires are causing havoc a very enterprising farmer launched ‘Buy From The Bush’. It’s a fantastic concept and people across Australia are purchasing gifts from these small rural shops. I have made several purchases for Christmas without the need to search for a car space, line up at the counter etc. I agree that we all need to support small business. Merry Christmas Carol to you and your family. Xx
Lovely! Are you planning any workshops I’m May? I’ll be in Tralee 5/3 through 5/8 and it would be great to learn from you again.
Hi Sandy,
I don’t currently have any plans here in Cork, I’m teaching a coup0le of tour groups though!
That’s a fantastic idea! Wishing you all a very happy Christmas over there :-)