With the holiday approaching, Fredericksburg Today would like you to consider shopping small in Fredericksburg. We’ve sent Kimberley on a hunt for the most interesting places to find unique gifts for your friends and family this year. Check back each week until Christmas for information about what a few shops here in downtown Fredericksburg are offering.
By Kimberley Merritt
I’ve walked the streets of downtown Fredericksburg again this week in search for perfect gifts for my friends and family. the right gift is hard to find – but one of the best places to check for great gifts is right here in our own backyard. Here’s where I visited this week!
Latitudes
800 Caroline St
Fredericksburg has a local Fair Trade store in Latitudes. Latitudes works through the Fair Trade Federation to connect with artisans and farmers in developing communities around the globe. They truly have a very diverse and exceptional variety of merchandise to suit the tastes of people of all ages. They have everything from apparel, to “poo paper” or paper made from elephant dung, to jewelry and accessories (including rings made from guitar strings), household wares to use in the kitchen or for storing your trinkets, to books for all ages, including a book which teaches kids about tooth fairy traditions around the world. Walking into Latitudes engages the shopper with bright colors, and an endless bounty of items your friends and family will be sure to treasure. If you’re struggling to find the right gift for someone, take a stroll around Latitudes, then try again later. You’ll surely stumble upon something new each trip to the store.
Fredericksburg Brew Exchange
610 Caroline St
The Fredericksburg Brew Exchange is the perfect place to find craft beer, wines, gourmet sauces, beautiful ceramic growlers, and bottle openers made from railroad ties. Oh, it’s also a wonderful place to fill your growler, or to fill one and gift it to a friend. They have 16 beers on tap at any given time, many from Virginia, and some from local favorites. They’re open 7 days a week, so they offer good flexibility with your schedule if you aren’t sure you’ll make it to your friend’s favorite brewery in time to get their holiday gift. This store is also open late.
Ladyburg
726 Caroline St
Walking into Ladyburg is a treat for the senses. You get to handle some of their handmade soaps, as you lift them to your nose to smell them and make a choice about which you’ll give. They carry handmade soaps with scents for him, and for her. They also carry bathbombs, and bath cupcakes, essential oils, shaving supplies for him, and bathtime supplies for kids. This shop really does cater to the whole family’s bath and shower time needs. If you stop in at the right time, you’ll be able to see them making more of the shop’s inventory in a room adjacent to the main showroom. Perhaps one of the store favorites is their “blunder bag.” They stock gift bags full of a few pounds of soaps that didn’t quite make the final cut for one reason or another, and they offer it in bulk at a discounted price. This shop stays busy, but if you take your time looking around, you will likely be able to find gifts for several people on your list in this local favorite.
So far, I’ve been able to visit some interesting and unique places. I’m excited to continue exploring, and to share what I find with you. Thanks for reading, and stay tuned next week to see where I’ll go next!
Read “Tis the Season for Small Shopping, Part 1” here!
