For many of us, as soon as the clock strikes midnight on Thanksgiving, the turkey decor is tucked away and it’s all about the jingle bells. If your yearly holiday shopping experience looks a little more like Jingle All the Way than a Hallmark movie, don’t fret — use our Martha’s Vineyard holiday gift guide for a stress-free, no-rush season of giving.
Your Holiday Gift Guide to Shopping in Island Style
For the Leisurely Shopper: Where to Buy
No need to wait in mall lines or worry about packages being picked off your doorstep — the perfect place to handpick holiday presents during a Martha’s Vineyard visit is just a stroll away. Shopping locally in Edgartown brings you face-to-face with jewelry stores, bookshops, clothing brands, and boutiques filled with trinkets destined for gift wrapping.
If you’d like to take shopping locally even further, plan a trip to one of our seasonal festivals or pop-up shops. Walk off that big meal and kick off the shopping season at The Vineyard Artisans Thanksgiving Weekend Festival, or catch one of the Featherstone Center for the Arts holiday gift shows that run daily through mid-December. Both options yield arrays of handmade, giftable goodies made right here on Martha’s Vineyard.
For the Let’s-Cut-To-The-Chase Shopper: What to Buy
Of course, a leisurely stroll through a craft fair or our storefronts isn’t quite as enjoyable if the clock is ticking. If it’s crunch time, skip the hunt and get straight to the treasure with this holiday gift guide of sure-to-impress items made on Martha’s Vineyard.
- Murdick’s Fudge. Over 15 flavors await your selection at Murdick’s Fudge, and if your timing is right you may catch seasonal tastes like eggnog and peppermint. Don’t let their name lead you astray, though — Murdick’s is home to the best fudges around, but they also have delicious popcorn and brittle up for gifting grabs.
- Chilmark Coffee. Whether the coffee lover in your life has firsthand experience with our island’s best, or they’ve yet to sip a cup, a bag or two of these beans are sure to please around the holidays.
- Martha’s Vineyard Chocolate. If you can’t get your hands on a box of Chilmark Chocolates (this time of year, those can be as rare as a Wonka bar golden ticket) the chocoholic in your life isn’t out of luck. Head to a local candy shop or New Moon Magic – Enchanted Chocolates in Oak Bluffs for your pick of chocolate-covered fruit, nuts, and bars.
- Martha’s Vineyard Distilling Company. Did your friend have the best vodka martini of their life on Martha’s Vineyard? Recreate it with a bottle or some loot straight from the source — from branded glassware to oak aging barrels, Martha’s Vineyard Distilling Co. carries a great selection of swag.
- Vineyard Bath Company. This Edgartown company has made it their mission to bottle the Martha’s Vineyard experience — and between their massive collection of lotions, salt scrubs, and soaps, it’s safe to say they’ve succeeded. You can even choose a fragrance named after your gift recipient’s favorite island town (we’ll go ahead and assume it’s Edgartown).
- The Martha’s Vineyard Experience. Give us a break — it’s the holiday season and we can get a bit sentimental here. We aren’t pulling your leg when we say the best gifts of all are the memories we make on Martha’s Vineyard. Reminding your loved ones about the memories they’ve already created is great, but some fresh ones don’t hurt, either. If there’s a certain item they’ve yet to check off their island bucket list (like a biplane ride or a fishing charter outing) the holidays are the perfect time to make it happen.
If you do give the gift of a Martha’s Vineyard experience (or have a feeling that your goodies will inspire a future visit), beat them to the finish line with a Vineyard Square gift certificate. After all, what better way to experience the island than from the point-of-view of Edgartown’s getaway central?
