This holiday season, buy gifts directly from local makers, at independent shops, and during special holiday markets held throughout NEPA.
There are so many reasons to shop small this holiday season, from supporting local artists and makers to ensuring your dollars strengthen the local economy. It’s also just plain fun to get to know local sellers and browse their wares. We’ve put together a guide to shopping small in Northeastern Pennsylvania this holiday season, complete with gift ideas, physical shops you can visit, and festive holiday markets where you can find dozens of makers in one place.
Whether you’re looking for a gift basket of snacks for your mother-in-law or a handmade mug for your coffee-loving coworker, you’ll find thoughtful, locally made gifts right here in NEPA.
Shop for gifts directly from local makers
Artisans across the region are crafting a bevy of handmade gifts like pottery, perfume, candles, jewelry, and all manner of art.
Pottery and home goods
Gifting handmade home goods combines practicality with art. You can find one-of-a-kind pottery pieces from NEPA makers like MudWorks Pottery based in Monroe County’s Effort and Big Mug Co. in Columbia County’s Benton. Musso Woodworking, based in Lackawanna County’s Dunmore, crafts wooden kitchenware like cutting boards, as well as decorative signs.
Candles and scents
You can give someone their very own signature scent with a handcrafted perfume from Scranton’s Noteology, a business name that’s a play on the notes that make up a fragrance. Noteology also makes distinctive candles, as does Designs by Olivia Grey, which offers hand-poured soy candles in Luzerne County’s Pittston.
Artwork
Decorative art, made by painters, printmakers, and photographers across the region, can make for unique gifts that connect to local place and culture. Kristal Eve Art makes original fine art pieces with acrylics that depict colorful and homey scenes, including paintings inspired by the NEPA region. The artist, Kristal, also sells affordable prints of her work.
For smaller pieces, check out the work of Keith Renard, who paints animals, buildings, words, and more on upcycled tea bags in his Scranton studio. Many more area artists showcase their work in local shops and at holiday markets.
Jewelry, accessories, and more
Jewelry is a classic gift, and you can take home necklaces, rings, bracelets, and other ornaments from local artists right here in NEPA. B. Madigan Jewelry and Gifts, based in Lake Ariel in Wayne County, makes one-of-a-kind, wire-wrapped pieces—and the shop also sells gifts crafted by other makers.
The husband-and-wife team behind Fly Me Home in Luzerne County’s Pittston uses vintage and recycled materials to create handcrafted jewelry, like rings made from silverware, in addition to a host of other accessories and home decor items, including mixed mosaics, wind chimes, pottery, keychains, and hand-stamped spoons. Co-owner Dave Guzik does custom stamping projects on silverware right in the store, often while you wait.
Shop at locally owned stores
Holiday shopping transforms from a chore into a fun day out when you’re browsing independent shops instead of big box stores.
Maude & Main – Honesdale (Wayne County)
Maude & Main in downtown Honesdale is a charming boutique offering a broad selection of gifts, including home decor, jewelry, bath items, candles, cards, food, games, and more. The quirky items are a mix of artist-made delights and fun housewares.
Local Fair – Jim Thorpe (Carbon County)
Local Fair is a boutique in Jim Thorpe dedicated to art and wares made by local artists and craftspeople. You can find an assortment of gifts such as jewelry, art, paper goods, textiles, and more—and you can browse products on the Local Fair site to see everything for yourself.
The Art Boutique in the Gathering Place – Clarks Summit (Lackawanna County)
The nonprofit community center the Gathering Place is home to its Art Boutique, a shop showcasing original artwork and crafts from artists throughout the region. You can find unique paintings, handmade jewelry, wire sculptures, pottery, textile art, and much more. Note that the local spot has limited regular hours and is only open Tuesday through Friday.
On&On – Scranton
On&On is a Scranton gem—a large marketplace filled with items from dozens of vendors. You can find art, home decor, locally made crafts, and even cool vintage items like mid-century modern furniture. With so much to choose from, you’re sure to find gifts for everyone on your list, plus something for yourself.
The Local Emporium – Tunkhannock (Wyoming County)
The Local Emporium is a local store in Wyoming County’s Tunkhannock filled with art and other gifts made by talented area artists and makers. Check out the store’s Facebook page to see some of the items that have been recently restocked, like wire art and stained glass holiday ornaments.
The shop also holds regular workshops, hosted by its vendors, so you can learn how to make your own giftable treasures, such as sugar scrub, paintings, or holiday ornaments.
Grab delicious gifts
Some of the best gifts are the ones you can consume—think chocolates, snacks, and wine!
Moka Origins – Honesdale (Wayne County)
Moka Origins sells craft chocolate and specialty roasted coffee at its store and coffee roastery on the beautiful campus of the Himalayan Institute in Wayne County’s Honesdale. The store sources its beans—both cacao and coffee—ethically from farms around the world, including its own farm in Cameroon.
You can grab delicious chocolate bars and treats, drinking chocolate, bags of coffee, and curated gift boxes.
Milford Wine & Cheese Co. – Milford (Pike County)
Milford Wine & Cheese Co. is a gourmet market in Milford beloved by cheese and wine enthusiasts. The downtown shop not only sells artisanal cheeses with the perfect wine pairings from Three Hammers Winery in Hawley, but it also has a tasting room where you can sample the goods.
Nibbles & Bits – Dunmore
If your giftee likes a selection of items—especially a selection of treats—look no further than Nibbles & Bits in Scranton. In addition to its own handcrafted chocolates, the shop sells a variety of gift baskets which may be filled with specialty chocolate, salty snacks, or meal ingredients (like a pizza night kit).
Visit a holiday market
This holiday season, NEPA will host several markets showcasing local makers. Plus, in addition to highlighting dozens of independent artists and craftspeople, many of these markets offer festive fun like live music and visits with Santa Claus. Here are just some of the NEPA holiday markets you can check out this year.
Bloomsburg Winterfest – Bloomsburg (Columbia County)
Dates: Nov. 27-28, 2026
Bloomsburg Winterfest will bring together more than 250 makers across the heated buildings of the Bloomsburg Fairgrounds. Winterfest also features live music, food and drink, visits with Santa, a gingerbread house contest, a 5K, and more.
Buy Local Holiday Marketplace – Scranton
Date: Nov. 29, 2026
The massive Buy Local Holiday Marketplace in Scranton celebrates its 14th year in 2026 and will feature roughly 100 local artists, makers, wineries, and other vendors across five floors of the Scranton Cultural Center. Admission is $5.
Christmas in Montrose – Montrose (Susquehanna County)
Dates: Dec. 4-6, 2026
The small town of Montrose hosts a hometown holiday celebration with its Christmas in Montrose event, which not only features a holiday market with more than 80 vendors but also free carriage rides and pictures with Santa Claus. Local stores will also be participating in the fun with free kids’ crafts and plenty of shopping opportunities.
Winterfest Artisan Fair – Hawley (Wayne County)
Dates: Dec. 12-13, 2026
The Winterfest Artisan Fair is the local shopping portion of Hawley’s Winterfest celebration, which features a night parade on Friday and other community events like craft stations, carriage rides, and more. The artisan fair takes place on Saturday and Sunday, with the Hawley Silk Mill filled with local artisan wares and fine art as part of the juried market.
