The holiday shopping season is upon us and there are so many ways to give unexpected, genuine, unique and delightful gifts from our many local shops that are thriving in the age of online shopping by offering superior service, by being quirky and by knowing their customers. Stay close to home this year and visit all of our neighborhoods to find that something special, here are a few suggestions;

Bridge Street
Visit historic Bridge Street in Waitsfield and pop into the 4OrtyBridge Boutique. Tucked into a vintage space, this shop is where city style meets mountain luxury. You’ll find a carefully curated collection of sophisticated and fun casual wear. The big lure at 4orty Bridge, beyond the collection of fashion, is the highly personalized in-store shopping experience. Right next door you’ll discover Finery, the home of Sasha Walsh Designs, There you will find her handcrafted jewelry, artwork, and one of a kind clothing. With a commitment to ethical sourcing, and supporting creative and talented independent designers, it’s a destination for the most unique fine jewelry, presented in a light-filled gallery style space.

Take a short walk down Bridge Street and discover the Artisans’ Gallery. The shop is owned and operated by three partners working with 150+ Vermont artists. They offer a handpicked selection of eclectic, lively, personalized quality pieces in a bright and inviting 1830’s storefront. The gallery truly reflects the collaborative nature of our local creators

Someday Boutique an upscale resale shop offering a curated collection of women’s clothing, shoes, jewelry and accessories has been hand-picked and sourced to give customers the best deals on quality goods, without having to do all the work!  Follow your nose to the back of the Green Closet to find Three Buds Apothecary  offering botanical-based feel goods for body, soul, and home all crafted in Vermont in small batches using a unique combination of 100% USDA Certified Organic Carrier and Essential Oils. Individually hand poured made with American-grown soy, a lead-free cotton wick primed with vegetable based wax, and unique blends of premium grade fragrance and essential oils.

Right up stairs in the, well… Upstairs Marketplace you’ll find The Silver Trout, an amazing fly fishing emporium along with Mad River Candles and the Re-Sale Loft. Across the street you’ll find All Things Bright and Beautiful, a unique collection of hand painted Christmas ornaments, Santas and plush toys. No one does the holidays like these ladies. If you stroll up Route 100 (AKA Main Street) you’ll stumble across The Village Grocery. Don’t let the gas station and convenience store appearance fool you. Inside you’ll find local maple syrup, a surprisingly good wine department, whimsical metal art and a a heaping helping of local flavor. Keep strolling and you’ll come across  The Mad River Glass Gallery, an incredible studio and shop featuring one-of-a-kind glass creations.  A few doors down you’ll find Clearwater Sports, they have everything you could possibly need to enjoy the outdoors in every season including a dazzling array of clothing (Patagonia, SkHoop, Prana, Outdoor Research and more) footwear and gear for adults and kids. On the other side of the road you’ll discover Vee’s Flower and Garden Shop with beautiful gifts, flowers, house plants, flower pots and lot’s more. Don’t forget about Kenyon’s Variety, our locally owned hardware store and retail fixture. They literally have anything you can imagine. Heck, it they don’t have it you don’t need it!

Irasville
Folks don’t always realize that Bridge Street isn’t Waitsfield’s only village center. Irasville is the other one. There are retail shops on both sides of Main Street). On your right (when heading south) is the Mad River Green Shops which is home to Product Think Tank. Annemarie, the owner and designer has a resume rich in clothing design. She very much wants you to consider “Who made your clothes?”  You’ll notice many of her creations are named after Mad River landmarks as she designs clothing that feels as comfortable as the Valley that inspires them. Right next door, shoppers will find Whippletree Designs, carefully curated VT & MRV souvenir apparel and gifts. T-shirts, sweatshirts, stickers, magnets, postcards, glassware, and more. Images of skiing, snowboarding, hiking, kayaking/paddle boarding, mountain biking are the most popular.  Stroll down a few more doors and pop into the The Collection which features, well, a collection of fashion accessories, jewelry, and interior designproducts. They also happen to have the area’s best selection of toys, games, cards and gifts. Yvonne and her team are at your service whether it be suggesting the perfect gift, gorgeous wrapping or creating a balloon bouquet. Across the way you’ll discover The newest retailer in the Mad River Green is Inklings Children’s Books, a very special space that provides a playground for imagination and the magic of books

Atelier 101, which is the working studio and gallery for ceramic artists Alicja Costanza and Stephanie Grace.They offer unique, handmade & one of a kind ceramics for tabletop and home. Stop by and see the artists make while you shop!  The Mad River Taste Place, a specialty food store offering the widest range of the best artisanal foods and beverages from Vermont, including Cheeses, Meats, Coffee, Bread, Butter, Preserves, and Chocolates. They also offer the best of Vermont Beers, Ciders, Wines and Spirits. A gift basket curated by the Taste Place is great way to send a “taste” of the MRV.  Three Mountain Cafe is a few doors down,
grab some coffee and a goodie and peruse a lovely section of artwork, coffee and gift items. It’s also a great place to take a break from shopping.  Bisbees Hardware is right next door and they have everything you’ll ever need to fix up near anything. An old-time hardware store that prides itself on their old-time customer service and of course the free popcorn in their old fashioned popcorn machine. If you take the Mad River Path Village section north you can meander past the Skatium rink and over towards Lawson’s Finest Liquids Taproom. There you’ll find lots of fresh Lawson’s winter “merch” for every budget. It’s also a great place to take a shopping break and relax with a beer and some tasty vittles by the fir

Cross the street to explore Village Square where you’ll find Blockhouse Studio, a community pottery studios and retail shop that features a carefully curated selection of items for you and your home. Right next door is The Tempest Book Shop which offers an eclectic collection of Books, new and used, movie rentals. watch batteries (Tempus Fixit), puzzles, cards and, oh yeah, homemade bread on Saturdays.

Out on Route 100 on the southern end of Irasville a revitalized retail core is growing strong. Mountain Rose Provisions, a mindfully curated shop carries a variety of products from crystals to incense and smudge sticks, from locally made jewelry and self-care products. Right next door is Mad River Eye Care where gift ideas include prescription ski goggle inserts, sunglasses, beautiful and unique eyeglass frames, a range of eye care supplies that make great stocking stuffers. Not sure what to get? No worries as as gift certificates are also available.

Head across the street, Addison West opened up where The Store used to be , there you’ll find a beautifully curated collection of home goods, lighting, furniture, kitchen, cards, gifts, candles and apothecary, vintage items and a stunning  an array of Vermont made and Vermont themed merchandise.  A bit further down the road you’ll find The Mad Rover . In it you’ll discover stylish apparel, accessories, gifts and more for the adventurer, the go-getter, and the true trailblazer. Mad River Outfitters carries products from tried and true brands that offer only the best in quality, price and style such as Kuhl, Fjall Raven, Prana, Stio, and Jetty. Just down the road is Mad River Massage which as an adorable retail are offering a beauriful slection of jewelry, soaps, cards and personal care items. Keep heading south on Route 100 and turn into the newly opened Mad Bush Falls and check out their new retail space called the Rider’s Outpost. The bike an outdoor shop is part of the Burlington’s legendary Outdoor Gear Exchange. Her you will find everything for the bicyclist in your life along with everything they need for outdoor adventure generally.

On the Mountain
The Mad River Valley is a “mountain town,” after all, so if you’re looking to be stylish on the slopes our ski shops have amazing mountain fashions along with knowledgeable staff that knows what works best up on the hill. At the base of the Sugarbush Access Road you’ll find the Vermont North Ski Shop, the Mad River Valley’s premier ski shop offering full service with a staff that has generations of experience to share. They also offer rental and demos ski and snowboard setups and  a wide variety of hard and soft goods. Vermont North is the home of  the VT North Pro Team and proud supporter of High Fives! They share the parking lot with Splinters Board Shop, Central vermont’s premier snowboard and skate shop. Travis and his team pride themselves on their unsurpassed service, knowledge and support of the local riding community.  Further up the road is Alpine Options, with its abundance of hard goods, fashionable and technical outerwear, base layers and accessories from brands like Salomon, Arcteryx, North Face and Elevenate.  Clearwater Sports in Waitsfield has been putting people and the outdoors together for over 40 years. They are our local Patagonia retailer and also feature brands like Prana, Mountain Khakis and Outdoor Research and their experienced crew will make sure it is the right gear for your adventure.