2024 HOLIDAY SHOPPING GUIDE
Nostalgic shopping experiences ~
Makers making spirits bright ~
Record store owners’ favorite holiday albums A must-have for espresso martini lovers and hosts with the most
2024 HOLIDAY SHOPPING GUIDE
JILLIAN MCGARRY
J. PARISI
BUFFALO COLLABORATION LIKE
OTHER. Buffalo Spree’s 2024 Best Distillery meets Spree’s Best Cold Brew & Espresso, creating an instant hit: Overwinter Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur. Made by cold brewing Overwinter single-origin Brazilian coffee beans set to a custom Hartman’s roast, this coffee liqueur is full of floral notes with a sweet vanilla background. Perfect chilled, added to a cup of coffee, or as the base of an espresso martini, it’s bound to be a holiday favorite. Pick up a bottle at your local liquor store or at Hartman’s Distilling Co., or order online at hartmansdistilling.com. HARTMAN’S DISTILLING CO.
Photo by kc kratt
Design by Jean-Pierre Thimot
Handmade
HOLIDAY
Local artisans are making spirits bright
by Jillian McGarry
WALKING THROUGH BIG BOX STORES during the holidays can leave you feeling not only like all offerings are the same, but also that they’re all made far away. But people do make things like they used to—by hand—many here in Western New York.
We connected with community makers from cross-stitchers to apiculturists—a new term we learned during our chats!—who add vibrancy to holiday gifting lists and depth to our city’s creative culture—and beyond.
FloMade
Find FloMade on Instagram @flomade
Flo Kane of FloMade has been creating and connecting since 2009. Writing wedding vows, building shadowboxes, sewing dolls; her expressions have taken many forms as she found new ways to convey emotional human experience.
Kane has the gift of seeing magnificent stories in the most intimate, mundane parts of our lives and transforming them into something tangible.
The holidays are full of joy and fond memories but can also be a heavy time. FloMadeMourning is the second arm of the FloMade brand and started as a way to process grief over her father’s death, make peace with loss, and find a way to keep memories alive while moving forward.
Kane began making mourning dolls as a reminder that grief can be beautiful, too. These custom commissions become deeply personal projects that capture the essence of the person lost, in a tangible form, with quotes written on the bodies, meaningful clothing, and even locks of hair incorporated into the
“These dolls are a way to respect, hold, and value the experience of grieving someone we loved and love.”
doll. Because grief is a manifestation of love, the dolls hold and represent beauty and pain.
“Culturally, we’re encouraged to move on, to get better, to be okay,” says Kane. “These dolls are a way to respect, hold, and value the experience of grieving someone we loved and love.” She approaches and processes grief differently, seeing deep value in continuing to hold space for and celebrate a person long after they’re gone. It’s hard to stand in someone’s grief without trying to fix it and make it go away, but a mourning doll can be a kind place to start. Check out Kane’s creations at ShopCraft on Elmwood or contact her to commission something personal.
Handmade continued
Inset: Flo Kane, founder of FloMade
Rust Belt Love Paperie rustbeltlove.com
The day Alyson and Nick O’Connor met is celebrated as a holiday among the stationery and letterpress enthusiast community. The couple, an illustrator/ designer and a letterpress printer, combined forces designing and printing wedding invitations almost fifteen years ago, drawn to wedding stationery for its lasting significance, long after the pages are read and the event is over.
That passion project grew into what is now Rust Belt Love Paperie, an internationally distributed collection of handmade stationery drawn by Alyson with pen and ink and produced by Nick with a fleet of 100-year-old letterpresses in their Buffalo studio. Alyson creates an illustration, which is then transposed onto a metal plate and pressed into paper to create a tactile product of the art.
The O’Connors view paper differently. “We’ve leaned into the idea of making heirloom products for people,” says Alyson, “and making something that is going to last and be a memory.” For those of us with a drawer full of every card or handwritten note we’ve ever gotten, this resonates. For holiday cards or hostess gifts, they’re worth checking out.
Nick and Alyson O’Connor of Rust Belt Love Paperie
Hahn’s Honeybee Haven hahnshoneybees.com
When Tara Hahn’s daughters went to college, she knew she needed a hobby. She’d spent her life serving in the military, then working a highstress career as a hazmat transporter. Looking for something more peaceful in this next chapter, her husband suggested beekeeping.
Typically, apiaries—honeybees’ humble abodes— are populated with bees purchased by the beekeeper. But Hahn has fostered everything from kittens to teenage boys and wasn’t interested in handling bees any differently; she knew there had to be bees out there looking for homes.
Sure enough, after a few phone calls, Hahn became a beehive rescuer. Her apiary is entirely populated by hives once slated for destruction, relocated to the Haven by Hahn and her team, and nursed back to health with the help of a veterinarian and a supportive community.
“A lot of people think it’s kind of weird that we rescue bees but all of our food supply relies on them,” says Hahn. The U.S. has lost a significant number of bee colonies in the past few years, so Hahn is sharing her methods across the region, mentoring other honeybee haven starters, and creating more homes for wayward bees.
It’s a self-sustaining operation. The proceeds from selling the 2,500 pounds of single hive source honey they pull go toward meeting the needs of the hives, each of which has a name and distinct personality. And there’s always more honeycomb than they can use, so the excess is processed into fine beeswax goods, including sculptural candles and nourishing lip balms.
Hahn’s Honeybee Haven is here to debunk bee myths, tell you to put down the can of Raid, and hook you up with beautiful beeswax candles in the process. Turns out not every insect with yellow stripes and wings is a bee, some bees get tummy aches, and candlesticks do always make a nice gift.
Handmade continued
Jeff and Tara Hahn of Hahn’s Honeybee Haven
CryBaby Cross Stitch crybabycrossstitch.com
Sometimes we find our calling and sometimes our calling finds us. Pamela Koons, founder of CryBaby Cross Stitch, discovered a passion while getting her master’s in art history and simultaneously battling a depressive episode. Walking through a bookstore near her Brooklyn apartment, she picked up a cross stitch kit, hoping the little craft would cheer her a bit.
After a few thread mix-ups and pattern mishaps, Koons had created something mildly unsightly yet completely perfect—a “mom” patch; she gifted it to her mother, who proudly displays it to this day. More importantly, she found herself able to forget her problems as the needlework demanded her focus.
Cross stitch became a life raft for Koons as she finished her studies. In a season where tangible results were few amid long hours of work, the visible progress of a cross stitch provided a feeling of accomplishment. And because Koons is creative by nature, the kinks worked out quickly. Soon she was creating her own patterns because she had her own things to say—cross stitch kits and keychains emblazoned with reminders to be kind to yourself, care for your community, and tell people you love them.
Her first kit, “I hate you the least”, was created as a gift for a loved one and is one of CryBaby’s best sellers. CryBaby is an ode to big feelings, a celebration of sensitivity. “It’s cool to be emotional and to feel things. In a world where people are so callous, I think it’s such a beautiful thing,” says Koons of her CryBaby brand, named after the oftmeanspirited childhood moniker.
CryBaby Cross Stitch attracted kindred spirits with its crass kindness. Who does that include and who might need a CryBaby creation this holiday season? According to Koons, “Anyone who has a sense of humor, who has big feelings, and who needs a reminder to be kind to themselves, that life is hard, and that they’re doing a great job.”
That sounds like just about everyone. Sometimes it takes a CryBaby to say what we’re all thinking.
Inset: Pamela Koons, owner of CryBaby Cross Stitch
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THRIFTING & GIFTING
Where to find secondhand holiday gifts
by Nancy J. Parisi
October House on Hertel Avenue between Colvin and Saranac Avenues
“I’m gonna pop some tags Only got twenty dollars in my pocket I’m, I’m, I’m hunting, lo oking for a come up.”
—Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, from the 2012 song “Thrift Shop”
SECONDHAND SHOPPING is a hunt, a yen, and a whole lot of serendipity.
As a teen with a micro budget, the thrill of thrifting got hold of me when I was introduced to local thrift stores and the glorious, annual White Elephant Sale at Trinity Episcopal Church on Delaware Avenue. Family members who were horrified that I was occasionally buying—and wearing—secondhand clothing, changed their opinions after I showed off a bagful of goods purchased at the White Elephant Sale: barely worn Bass Weejun loafers, a gorgeous wool skirt, and nearly new brand name cardigans.
Thrift shopping is also perfect for secondhand gifts: housewares, accessories, and decorative pieces. Gifting a crystal, silver, or vintage platter (with or without homemade baked goods atop) is one wondrous idea. Not all giftees appreciate the splendors of found items, but those who do will express appreciation—and mad respect. A recent favorite Christmas gift from a friend is a vintage set of emerald-green stemware. Frugality is not the sole reason for thrifting. It’s importantly a conscious action to keep
items—many of superior quality in today’s fast fashion, mass-produced market—out of landfills. Eschewing online shopping and amply stocked chain stores keeps an impressive array of area thrift, secondhand, and consignment shops humming. Longtime thrifter and music promoter Marty Boratin of Eden says, “I just received a package of thrifted gifts from my friend in Tennessee: a shirt made from material printed with mushrooms, sheet music, and animal figurines. I occasionally make gifts of framed thrifted sheet music.”
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Diane Bush, who’s made a living of reselling vintage treasures, says, “I always do my holiday shopping at thrift stores because I love the idea of avoiding the crush, the expense, and I love recycling. My favorite thrift stores are charity stores that give back to the community. My sister-in-law lost some dearly loved Manhattan dinnerware in the Napa, California, earthquake a few years back, so I always pick up any Manhattan I come across and dole it out to her for the holidays or her birthday. And who does not love real cashmere scarves made in Italy or Scotland? I buy them in the summer, so come winter, I have a collection to gift.”
WNY has several Goodwill and Salvation Army stores of varying sizes sprinkled throughout the city and suburbs. Of note is one of the smallest Goodwill locations, on William Street, that has turned up some lovely gift items recently, like a Norwegian pewter bud vase. “Google Lens has taken out a lot of the mystery of items,” says Bush. “You can search for what an item is, and its value.” Other excellent thrift stores include AmVets (Elmwood Avenue near Hertel Avenue),
A selection of friendship bracelets and patches at White Dog Vintage
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The St. Vincent de Paul store on Main Street near Bryant Street usually has an impressive array of housewares and clothing. Proceeds from shopping here help fund the onsite dining room (open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday from 9 a.m.–1 p.m.) that feeds individuals, many seniors.
Near St. Vincent de Paul is what is shaping up to be a bit of a thrift district with a cluster of secondhand shops in Allentown. White Dog Vintage on Allen
Street is owned by Jordan Wexler and carries mainly women’s fashions from the eighties and nineties with some early 2000s, men’s, accessories, and housewares in the mix. Wexler also carries vintage postcards and eclectic greeting cards. “I had a little white dog, Belle, a Jack Russell terrier, and I put her on the logo and all the tags,” says Wexler. “All of the clothing here is washed, or drycleaned and organized. You won’t have to dig through bins of not-cute stuff here.”
Another peek inside Save The Rags
You can also browse Save The Rags’ selection at twoguysgoodbuys.com.
Around the corner on Franklin Street is Back Room Vintage, which opened its door decorated with Mad magazine covers in 2023. Vintage denim jackets, accessories, and nostalgic collectibles reign supreme, but it also carries vinyl, toys, and T-shirts celebrating various fandoms and sporting allegiances. Further down Allen Street on Wadsworth Street is Serendipity Shoppe; since 2008, this thrift shop has been a great choice for accessories, housewares, and wall art.
More gift-worthy secondhand shops are Save The Rags on Elmwood Avenue, Second Chic (across from Save The Rags, and with a second
location in Williamsville on Main Street), and the Scoop Shop on Auburn Avenue: the last two are consignment shops with high-end and designer options. Frank Fina and Tyler Annalora opened Save The Rags in 2022, a name intended to inspire reuse over waste. Annie Adams, the grand dame behind Second Chic, opened another Second Chic Outlet (Elmwood near Hertel) with all items priced ranging from $5 to $25. “You will find everything at Second Chic: vintage to designer to cool mall store brands. The best is when three generations come in to shop together and they all go home with bags of clothes,” Adams says.
You never know what treasures you’ll happen upon at Savers.
Not all giftees appreciate the splendors of found items, but those who do will express appreciation— and mad respect.
Hertel Avenue also has thrift destinations: October House and Untied to Time. October House, opened by Holly Cox originally in East Aurora before decamping to North Buffalo in 2024, is a welcoming place with loads of fashions for women and men, accessories, and unique housewares. The sale room in back offers more treasures. Untied to Time, “a concept boutique” opened by Carly Garrison in 2022, is a tailoring business with a selection of fine vintage fashions.
Finally, if you find yourself at the Galleria Mall, Ritzy Rags on Union Road stocks vintage and contemporary apparel, with inventory changing regularly. Happy hunting, and happy holidays!
Thrifting continued
October House on Hertel offers a
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THE GIFT OF MUSIC
Holiday and holiday-ish picks from local record store owners
by Justin Sullivan
MUSIC PLAYS A SIGNIFICANT ROLE in the holiday season, whether you begin listening to it the day after Halloween or limit exposure to chance encounters. While holiday music dates to the Middle Ages, it experienced a mid-1800s resurgence coinciding with the re-popularization of Christmas. Renewal of Yuletide customs like evergreen trees, gift giving, and Christmas cards was accompanied by the reimagination of Christian hymns—including “Silent Night” and “Joy to the World”—that remain popular today.
Holiday music continues to evolve from English adaptions of other countries’ holiday songs to the breadth of artists interpreting classics and creating originals that become new classics. Indeed, holiday music has earned genre status.
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With the resurgence of vinyl, Western New York record shops are preparing for another successful holiday season with stock of holiday albums, new releases, CDs (yes, CDs!), and accessories for every music lover on your list.
Revolver Records
Revolver Records carries more than 30,000 vinyl record albums of all genres dating back to the 1950s across its three locations (810 Elmwood Avenue, Buffalo; 1451 Hertel Avenue, Buffalo; and 6840 Transit Road, Williamsville). The stores frequently host events, including album release parties, live performances, and DJ sets, creating vibrant gatherings for music enthusiasts.
Owner Phil Machemer says the stores’ unified mission to celebrate music, foster community, and provide a welcoming space for exploring musical interests is shown by its wide selection of holiday music—including many cross-genre, holiday-themed albums.
What’s your favorite holiday album or albums? What makes it special? I always go back to classics like Sharon Jones and Phil Spector. Some things are affiliated with Christmas that are not necessarily Christmas albums. They feel like Christmas even though they aren’t. Pearl Jam’s Ten always makes me think of Christmas.
If you could recommend one record to Spree readers for the holiday season, what would it be?
Chappell Roan’s the Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess. She’s had this big uprising in the past six months. We are all really big fans; she’s great. I think a lot of people will like her record!
Holiday music aside, any exciting new releases that would make great gifts?
Record Store Day on Black Friday included a bunch of new record releases. There are some from Olivia Rodrigo, the Ohman Brothers, and Grateful Dead.
Do you sell any good stocking stuffers for music lovers?
At all the shops, I have a collection of music trading cards. Essentially, I buy dead stock packs of vintage cards as far back from the late seventies and people love to buy, gift, and collect them.
Hi-Fi Hits Records
At 5221 Main Street in Williamsville, Hi-Fi carries one of Western New York’s largest selection of vinyl records, CDs, and music DVDs. Hi-Fi opened in 2019, but owner and former Record Theatre manager Joe Igielinski brings twenty-six years of experience to his locally owned business. Loyal customers of Record Theatre— which closed in 2017—will notice its original counters at Hi-Fi. However, under Igielinski, Hi-Fi added a performance stage in the back of the shop and obtained a permit to sell draft beer during a weekly happy hour.
What’s your favorite holiday album or albums? What makes it special?
The Los Straitjackets’ the Complete Christmas Songbook because I just love the early style of rock ’n’ roll. The Los Straitjackets are primarily an instrumental band with each member having their own flair; it’s similar to the Ventures’ Christmas Album. Both are guaranteed to be overplayed every Christmas. That is how much I love it!
If you could recommend one record to Spree readers for the holiday season, what would it be?
Outside of the Los Straitjackets holiday album, Booker T. & the M.G.’s’ In the Christmas Spirit album is great and it is instrumental with an early style R&B flare to it. Another pick would be Merry Christmas from Doc Severinsen and the Tonight Show Orchestra on the local label, Amherst Records. It’s a great classic; we have it available on CD in our store.
Holiday music aside, any exciting new releases that would make great gifts?
We celebrated Record Store Day on November 29 (Black Friday) so there is select stock remaining. All of that is exclusive to indie record stores and limited in its own way and once it’s gone, it’s gone! For Friday New Releases, we have the one-year anniversary of Hackney Diamonds by the Rolling Stones coming on December 6.
Do you sell any good stocking stuffers for music lovers?
Yes! We have magnets, buttons, playing cards, and stickers for small stocking stuffers. And mugs, Funko Pops, action figures, puzzles, T-shirts and posters for larger stocking stuffers or small gifts. And of course, we have gift cards for any amount, big or small!
Black Dots
Since 2013, Black Dots Records (368 Grant Street, Buffalo) has provided West Side residents a place for all audio needs.
Owned by Brendan O’Connor, Joshua Smith, and Quinn Moore (who answered our Q&A), the store adds new and used records, cassettes, and CDs to its shelves weekly, turning a former boutique shop into a media outlet with a full-service bar. The store also buys everything from vinyl to CDs to music memorabilia.
What’s your favorite holiday album or albums? What makes it special?
[Paul McCartney and the Wings’ McCartney II because it has] “Wonderful Christmastime.” This song has been my favorite since I was a little boy.
If you could recommend one record to Spree readers for the holiday season, what would it be?
Vince Guaraldi’s A Charlie Brown Christmas. This record enhances the vibe of snowfall and the holiday season. It doesn’t get better than that.
Holiday music aside, any exciting new releases that would make great gifts?
Charli XCX’s Brat and It’s Completely Different but Also Still Brat
Do you sell any good stocking stuffers for music lovers?
We sell record cleaning kits as well as cassette tapes. Tapes are great because you get a whole album’s worth of music in a format that fits in your pocket—or stocking!
Nostalgic Holiday Shopping
That feels like you’re in a Hallmark movie
by Jillian McGarry
SHOPPING DURING THE HOLIDAYS feels special. Even devout online shoppers can’t help but enjoy the warm scents of cinnamon, twinkling lights, and, if we’re lucky, fluffy lake effect flakes falling gently outside shop windows. We’ve compiled some favorite spots where you can fill your cart—and maybe your glass—IRL and feel like you’re living in a snow globe.
On a crisp evening, where would you rather shop?
For a European holiday, sans passport…
Buffalo Holiday Market
When Buffalo Holiday Market co-founder Colleen Pandy moved back to the U.S., she thought Buffalo could use a little sweetness from overseas. Now in its fourth year of operation, the Buffalo Holiday Market brings the romance of a European holiday to our Rust Belt city.
Nestled on the grounds of the historic Richardson Olmsted Campus, seventy wooden chalets invite you to visit local artisans, dig into a crepe from the comfort of a heated igloo, and shop while taking in one of the city’s most beautiful architectural destinations. Live music, photo spots, and activities for the whole family are sprinkled in. The market runs November 29 to December 22 and hosts more than 500 vendors, so every visit is a different experience. Pro tip: start your shopping circuit with a mug of the market’s signature mulled wine—to keep your hand warm!—and end with holiday cookies for the ride home.
buffaloholidaymarket.com, 427-3491; 444 Forest Avenue
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Grab a warm (or cold) beverage to fuel your stroll.
and the warm scent of woodworking…
Roycroft Schoolhouse Gallery
Built in 1850, this historic one-room schoolhouse was active until 1948. Now, almost a hundred years later, it’s found new life as an exclusive gallery for the seventy-or-so Roycroft artisans who each earned the title through rigorous evaluations and refinement of craft. The gallery functions as a co-op with a few artisans actively working in the space.
When you pop in, talk to the artists at work; they’d love to show you their works-in-progress and give you a tour of the shop. Often, these passionate artists collaborate, combining exemplary skills in unique designs. Their work allows the schoolhouse to continue as a place of education and connection.
roycroftcampuscorporation.com, 655-4080; 1054 Olean Road, East Aurora
For homemade candy and a jolly face…
Kelly’s Country Store
The Kelly family began selling handmade candies at festivals and—as is often the case when you sell something tasty in Buffalo—quickly became a sensation. With demand too high for their simple operation to support, they set up shop on Grand Island in 1962.
Four generations later and still family-owned and family-operated, the country store is a favorite destination for handmade chocolates, unique gifts, and old-world charm. A certain jolly someone has been known to stop by and pick up treats for his tiny coworkers. If you see him, let him know we’ve been extra good—and we have a Bills Superbowl win on our list this year.
kellyscountrystore.com, 773-0003; 3121 Grand Island Boulevard, Grand Island
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PHOTOS BY NICK VITELLO
Find vintage toys galore at Kelly’s Country Store and pay Santa a visit.
For vintage vinyl and vaulted ceilings…
The Old Chapel Antique & Artisan Market
Step into the repurposed 1800s Ascension Church and explore hundreds of vendors, including one of the region’s best vintage vinyl selections and artfully curated assortments of vintage items and artisan goods. Sip coffee in the choir loft then take the stairs down to the basement—a true treasure trove—where you can peruse hundreds of vintage records to find the perfect deep cut for the music lover on your list. theoldchapelmarket.com, 545-6102; 172 Robinson Street, North Tonawanda
For a taste of bygone days and maybe even a little something sweet…
Vidler’s 5 & 10
Opened in 1930, Vidler’s wraps you in historic nostalgia. Grab something sweet at the store’s original candy counter and explore the largest 5 & 10 store in the world, with more than 75,000 items spread through four buildings on two levels. While you’re in the area, walk down East Aurora’s Main Street and enjoy the Christmas movie vibes—string lights draped over a cobblestone street, bustling bundled-up shoppers, and carols floating through the air. Maybe you’ll run into a high-powered CEO home for the holidays and looking for a break from the big city. vidlers5and10.com, 652-0481; 676-694 East Main Street, East Aurora
The charming Old Chapel Market has a bevy of vintage records in the basement.
For an (indoor) walk through a tropical holiday wonderland…
Cozy Crafters Artisan Market at the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens
Experience a Western New York tradition during the Gardens’ annual poinsettia exhibit (through January 6) and crafters market (December 7-8). Wander through the gardens, aglow with twinkling lights and filled with hundreds of blooming poinsettias of all sizes and colors.
Whether you’re flying solo or have kids in tow, there’s plenty to do. Kids will enjoy the holiday decorations, and this could be your chance to get that annual family photo! Sip on a festive drink, snack on seasonal treats, stay toasty warm, and get into the spirit of the season while you narrow down your shopping list. buffalogardens.com, 827-1584; 2655 South Park Avenue, Buffalo
For a tree and a tutorial
Lockwood’s Greenhouses & Farm
After getting in the spirit at the Festival of Lights at the Hamburg Fairgrounds, head to the adjacent Lockwood’s Greenhouses & Farm to pick out your tree. The Lockwood family has been farming in Hamburg since 1914 and this fourth-generation, family-run farm includes three acres of carefully tended Christmas trees.
You can also shop an assortment of handmade wreaths at the greenhouses or have one custom-made to match your door and greet guests all season. If you’re feeling crafty, sign up for a workshop to make your own decorations out of native plants and unbridled holiday spirit. weknowplants.com, 649-4684; 4484 Clark Street, Hamburg
Nostalgic continued
A Christmas tree built of poinsettias at the Botanical Gardens
Photo Credit: Stephen Gabris
GIFTING EXPERIENCES
Ideas from our big WNY backyard
by Amy Lynn Hardy
AS THE HOLIDAY SEASON APPROACHES, the quest for perfect gifts begins. This year, if perfection is eluding you, consider eschewing traditional gift-giving and embracing a trend that brings joy, memories, and connection: gifting experiences. In Western New York, where adventures in art, culinary pursuits, games, the outdoors, and more await, you can choose experience gifts that will not only delight your loved ones but also create lasting memories. Research shows that experiences generate more happiness than material possessions because they foster emotional connections, memories, and often lead to cherished shared stories among loved ones. What more can you want from a gift?
Fitness and dance
Buffalo Ballroom offers salsa dancing classes that are both energetic and engaging. Alternatively, Pole Barre Fitness Studio and Buffalo Aerial Dance provide up-in-the air workouts to enjoy in a group or with a friend (tip: new fitness classes are less intimidating with a friend!). Into hip-hop? Musicality Central and Fusion Dance Studio might be a way for you and your bestie to try dance classes together, even if you’ve never danced before; there’s a class for every level. A membership to the Botanical Gardens or a climbing pass at Central Rock Gym encourage healthy lifestyles while allowing loved ones to explore or challenge themselves physically.
Art and creativity
Our region boasts a wealth of creative classes perfect for gift-giving. At MUSEjar in East Aurora, gift certificates for wine-andpaint classes or sculpture workshops spark creativity and provide a fun night out with a partner or work bestie. Similarly, Buffalo Arts Studio offers eight-week classes in various mediums, accommodating everyone from beginners to advanced artists.
Children’s creativity is nurtured at Burchfield Penney Art Center, which offers classes in watercolors and nature drawing. Meanwhile, Painting with a Twist provides themed classes, such as “paint your pet” or “girls’ night.” With prices averaging around $40-$50 per person, these experiences can be tailored to fit your budget if you want to join in the fun.
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PHOTOS
Culinary adventures
For a personal touch, gift a private chef experience with Darian Bryan, who will prepare a gourmet meal at his studio or in your own kitchen. Or opt for one of Thyme-N-Honey’s hands-on cooking classes, which range from learning basic techniques to mastering complex dishes.
Auburn Watson Culinary Arts provides lessons on everything from skillet meals to holiday-themed dishes, typically around $100 per class. For a plant-based twist, Garden Fresh Foodie offers healthy cooking classes that are both delicious and informative.
For littles
Kids bursting with energy will love a gift certificate to Rolly Pollies, where they can bounce on trampolines, run around, tumble, and climb during open gym hours. A membership to Explore & More Children’s Museum will also satisfy young curiosity. For a calmer activity to share with a parent or grandparent, Buffalo Cake Pops has cake pop and cookie decorating classes for all ages.
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Adventure and travel
Know someone spontaneous with a love for adventure? Pack Up + Go curates mystery vacations based on your recipient’s preferences, allowing them to enjoy a spontaneous getaway. Similarly, Girltime Getaways specializes in surprise weekend trips, providing an exciting opportunity for relaxation and exploration. Imagine finding out where you’re going the day-of. Exhilarating!
For more local adventure, bond with friends and family at Lock & Key Escape Room or Escape City Buffalo, where groups work together to solve puzzles and challenges. For amateur sleuths and mystery lovers, a murder mystery dinner at the Dinner Detective offers dining filled with interactive comedy and a search for the culprit who hides among the guests. Or try a True Crime Buffalo Tour, which goes into Buffalo’s first homicide, witch trial, and more fascinating (and disturbing) local history. An Explore Buffalo pass is a gift that keeps giving as your recipient explores our region’s neighborhoods and history with unlimited tours for an entire year.
Local sports and events
In the spirit of community and shared experiences, why not gift tickets? Attending a Bills, Bandits, or Sabres game, or touring Highmark Stadium can be a thrilling way to spend time together. For a more relaxed atmosphere, consider a group outing to a local curling event at RiverWorks, which offers lessons for beginners. It also has a high rope and climbing course perfect for tweens and teens.
Ultimately, gifting experiences is about creating opportunities for connection and trying something new. Moments spent together are the true treasures of the season.
BY
PHOTO
STEPHEN GABRIS
1 Gothic Ledge Rd, Lockport
Hearthstone Dr, East Amherst
Red Hawk Trl, East Amherst
Lindan Dr, Alden