Harlan County Shop Local Guide – Christmas 2023
Embrace the Magic of Christmas in Appalachia
As the holiday season approaches, let’s cherish the unique charm of Harlan County & Appalachia. This Christmas, we invite you to experience the warmth and joy of our local community. From the handcrafted gifts to the personal services, every purchase you make supports our local artisans, shopkeepers, and service providers. Let’s keep the magic alive by shopping local!
1. Harlan (and adjacent communities):
Harlan, the heart of our county, offers a diverse range of local businesses. Explore our selection and find the perfect gifts and services right here in our beloved town.
Boutique Clothing & Apparel:
- My Sister’s Closet: Discover festive fashion and sparkling accessories perfect for holiday parties and Christmas gifts.
- Southern Ruckus: Glitz up in glam and find fashion for the fam at Southern Ruckus! You’re guaranteed to find a great outfit at this boutique.
- Hot off the Press: Santa’s elves have been hard at work to bring Christmas all throughout this boutique. Find tee shirts, winter fashion, and so much more for that stylish someone on your shopping list.
- Sonwood’s: One of Harlan’s oldest boutiques, you can find gifts for everyone on your list at Sonwood’s. From fashion for ladies to swanky men’s wear, you’ll find that gift that shows you care.
- PB&J Monogramming: Gifts and this boutique go together like PB&J! Personalize your Christmas gifts with monogrammed clothing, pick out some sweet gifts for your loved ones, and browse their accessories to finish out your shopping list!
- Rhonda’s Merle Norman: Find the perfect beauty products and gift sets for Christmas makeovers and presents. We guarantee you can find the perfect gift or some stocking stuffers!
- Shirt Shack: Design your own Christmas-themed apparel for unique holiday gifts and party wear or shop their extensive line of pre-made graphic tees.
- Mountain Merch: Get your Harlan County-themed Christmas gifts, including apparel and even coffee mugs! Gifts can even be custom made. Never what’s in your shopping search, you’ll find it at Mountain Merch!
- The Hottest Closet: A boutique filled with trendy outfits and second hand finds perfect for Christmas gatherings and gift-giving.
Unique Gifts, Handcrafted, Artisanal:
- Sassy Trash: Find unique Christmas decorations and upcycled gifts, handmade items, and gifts ready for a second life, each with its own story and charm.
- Belinda Belles & Henson’s: A wonderland of Christmas gifts and decorations, from festive ornaments, fashion, accessories, and winter home decor. You can definitely find something for anyone on your Christmas list.
- The Anxious Hippy: From CBD oil, apparel, journals, and crystals galore, you can find that unique gift at this store!
Tinkering, Tools, & Tech:
- Frost Tech: The go-to place for gifts for your techie this Christmas! Need accessories for your early adopter? Look no further.
- Southern Wholesale: Got a handyman or handywoman on that shopping list? Head on down to Southern Wholesale and pick up tools for a DIY, rebuild, or let their experienced team help you pick the perfect gift.
- Tractor Supply: Find Christmas gifts for the outdoor enthusiast, from tools to outdoor gear.
Experiences & Services:
- Locked in Appalachia: Experience downtown Harlan’s only escape room filled with puzzles and fun! Purchase this experience for the special one on your list who loves games and mysteries.
- Edit Salon: Pamper yourself or gift a makeover with special Christmas packages and beauty treatments. Edit also has a large line of beauty products to purchase on site.
- Finish Vertical Crossfit: How do you know that someone crossfits? They’ll tell YOU all about it! Well, this Christmas, tell THEM how much they mean to you with a gift certificate for a month’s worth of crossfit from Finish Vertical!
- English Creek Stables: Gift horseback riding lessons or enjoy visiting the stables during the winter time!
- Bloody Harlan Tours: Gift the experience of Harlan County’s history with a true crime and ghost tour experience.
- Studio 606: Give the gift of dance this Chrismtas or shop their boutique for your little dancers!
Locally Owned Restaurants & Cafes:
- The Portal: Grab a gift card to Harlan’s most famous restaurant! Featured on season 6 of Justified, this restaurant is more than just food. It’s an experience!
- Harlan County Beer Company: Taste Harlan County craft beers, grab a holiday mixed drink and join in the Christmas festivities at the brewery. Great atmosphere and great food!
- Sports Cafe: Are you looking for the perfect candy tray for your holiday gathering? Look no further than Sports Cafe! Their delicious treats will even have Santa screaming “Touchdown!”
- Rax: Harlan County is the home to the last Rax in Kentucky! While shopping, be sure to stop and grab something from Uncle Al’s menu to keep up your energy!
- Moonbow Tipple Coffee & Sweets: Savor seasonal coffees and Christmas-themed sweets in a cozy cafe setting.
- Hungry Goats: Find from scratch made dinners with the taste of home this Chrismtas at Hungry Goats!
- Dairy Hut: When you’re running out of energy and still have your cousin Tom, Grandma Chloe, and your kooky uncle Joe on your shopping list, fuel back up at Dairy Hut!
Other:
- Angelia’s: Find yourself in an immaculate decorated downtown home and find a special gift for your loved ones or get some gorgeous floral arrangements for Christmas!
- Brad Abraham’s Music Store: For the music lover, find instruments and accessories that make perfect Christmas gifts.
- Coming Up Roses: Order festive flower arrangements and Christmas wreaths to brighten up your home. You’ll also find an incredible array of home decor, outdoor decor, and much much more!
- Core Fitness: Offer the gift of health with fitness memberships and more at Core!
- Crossroads Liquor: Select from an array of fine wines and spirits for Christmas celebrations and gifts.
- Odie’s Gym: A great place to prepare for New Year’s resolutions or find fitness-related Christmas gifts.
- Dream Furniture: Don’t just dream about giving the best gifts, do it! Decorate your home for the holidays with special Christmas deals on furniture and home decor.
- Jewelcraft: Choose from exquisite jewelry pieces to make a sparkling Christmas gift.
- Harlan Yoga: Gift wellness this Christmas with yoga class packages and relaxation workshops.
- Harlan Pawn: Discover unique Christmas gift ideas, from vintage finds to electronic gadgets.
- Massage Oasis: Give the gift of rejuvenation this Christmas celebration! Don’t let the stress of gift giving make you a grinch, Massage Oasis is the perfect gift in a pinch!
- Pine Mountain Wine & Spirits: Find the perfect bottle for your Christmas dinner or as a sophisticated gift.
- 421 Vendor’s Mall: You never know what you might find at the 421 Vendor’s Mall! This shopping destination offers a variety of vendors offering holiday crafts, gifts, and decorations to your more traditional vendor’s mall finds!
- Loyall Vendor’s Mall: Much like the 421 Vendor’s Mall, you never know what gifts you might find at discounted prices!
- Ink’d Up: Some gifts don’t come in a box! Give the gift that lasts a lifetime with a new tattoo from Ink’d Up!
- Roper’s Market: Not only can you find fresh fruit and vegetables to help fuel Santa’s reindeer but you can find lots of home baked goods and delicious treats at Roper’s Market!
- Harlan Barns: A storage shed is a great idea for a Christmas gift. She sheds, man caves, workshops, cottages, you can make it the perfect gift for nearly everyone.
- Body Boss Fitness by Shelley/Flips & Flops Gymnastics: Do you have a Christmas fitness goal? Shelley can help you discover a custom workout that fits your life and goals!
2. The Tri-Cities (Cumberland, Benham, Lynch)
Discover the charm of the Tri-Cities, each with its own unique offerings. From bespoke crafts to delightful culinary experiences, support local businesses in these vibrant communities.
Boutique Clothing & Apparel
- Buff’s Bows & Gifts: Find everything from festive apparel, candles, to unique Christmas decorations in this charming local store.
- Hill N Holler: Incredible screen printed tee shirts that feature Appalachian phrases and fun turns of phrase that you find only in the mountains!
- Kerstin’s Corner: Keep your kids look their best with boutique clothing for boys and girls.
Unique Gifts & Handcrafted & Artisanal
- Poor Fork Arts and Craft: A treasure trove of handcrafted gifts and art perfect for Christmas, showcasing the talent of local artisans.
- Raven Rock Trading Co: This shop not only has a ton of food and coffee based beverages to choose from but the real show is the incredible souvenirs and gifts you can find. From curiosities to oddities to beautiful handcrafted jewelry you’ll find a gift for that person that walks to the beat of their own drum!
- Willing Hearts: A ceramics and stained glass shop filled with heart! You can find handmade gifts and items perfect for spreading Christmas joy or buy an experience to share!
Tinkering, Tools, & Tech
- Southern Wholesale: Much like the Harlan counterpart, you can head on down to Southern Wholesale and pick up tools for a DIY, rebuild, or let their experienced team help you pick the perfect gift!
- Homeowner’s Hardware: Your local hardware store, filled with tools to tinker with for the DIYer on your list!
Experiences & Services
Highly Favored Flowers: In addition to the beautiful custom arrangements you’d expect from a florist, you’ll also find lovely gift items and home decor. Whether you’re stopping by to grab a last minute present or you want to work with their staff to design the floral arrangement of your dreams, they’re ready to help!
- Portal 31: Buy someone the gift of taking a step back in time. This animatronic tour was recently renovated and is an experience you won’t soon forget!
- KY Coal Mine Museum: Find a historical and educational gift in visiting the KY Coal Mine Museum! They also have a gift shop that reflect the region’s coal mining heritage, perfect for a thoughtful Christmas present.
Restaurants & Cafes
- Lamphouse Coffee: Throughout your shopping endeavors, you definitely want to stop at the Lamphouse! It’s the perfect place to enjoy seasonal beverages and buy Christmas-themed coffee blends and coffee-lover gifts.
- Hometown Heroes: Need to refuel while Christmas shopping? Stop by hometown heroes and grab a quick bite to eat!
- Sasquatchi Hibachi: Enjoy a unique dining experience with hibachi in the mountains! It’s a great place to take family while they’re in for the holidays or grab a bite to eat while shopping.
Other
- Riverside Greenery: From succulents to potted plants, this adorable boutique has something for the person with a green thumb on your list!
- Buff’s Lazy Daisy: A cozy spot to find charming home decor and gifts and lots of floral arrangements. You can bring Christmas cheer to any home!
- Kingdom Come State Park Gift Shop: Offering a range of Kentucky themed gifts and souvenirs as well as apparel for Harlan County’s favorite state park! This gift shop is perfect for Christmas presents for the outdoor enthusiast.
- Benham Schoolhouse Inn Gift Shop: Featuring locally made items and more, the Benham Schoolhouse gift shop is a great place to find a gift for your favorite Harlan Countian.
- The Apple Tree: Guaranteed to be the best apples and apple cider you could ever have! Whether you need apples for your holiday Apple Stack Cake or you want to gift the best apples you can find in Harlan, you’ll find it here. You can also grab local honey!
- Little Chapel in the Woods: ‘Tis the season to get engaged! If wedding planning is part of your Christmas season, let the experts at Little Chapel in the Woods help you design the mountain wedding of your dreams!
- Stepp Fitness: The holidays are a busy time but the 24/7 access at Stepp Fitness will help you get your workout in whenever it’s convenient. They also offer tanning so you’ll look just right in that New Year’s look!
3. Evarts
Evarts, a gem in Harlan County, is known for its friendly atmosphere and unique local businesses. Find something special for everyone on your Christmas list.
Boutique Clothing & Apparel
- Honey Bee Modest: Girls and Women can find affordable fashion with the highest modesty standards!
- Casual Corner: Update your look for the holidays with a modest twist.
- Kerstin’s Corner: Keep your kids look their best with boutique clothing for boys and girls.
Unique Gifts & Handcrafted & Artisanal
- Bridge Street Cottage: The decorative items and gifts at Bridge Street make the ideal gift for you secret Santa, your child’s teacher, or your next door neighbor.
Tinkering, Tools, & Tech
- Woody’s Hardware & Home: Get your home holiday ready with hardware items from Woody’s! From getting the tools you’ll need to deck the halls to picking up a plunger for those unexpected emergencies, you’ll find your Christmas goodies at Woody’s.
Experiences & Services
- Black Mountain Thunder Zipline: See Black Mountain at 60 mph and 500 feet above the forest as you soar through the sky on a zipline tour. Want to gift adventure? Pick up some passes for stocking stuffers!
- Black Mountain Off-Road Adventure Area: There are over 7,000 acres of thrilling trails waiting for you at Kentucky’s highest elevated off-road park! Purchase an annual permit for someone special or visit the park’s gift shop for branded apparel or pick up some flashy accessories for your off-road vehicle!
Restaurants & Cafes
- Leonz House of Steaks & Subs: The holidays are about providing a delicious meal for your family and then shutting down your kitchen and taking a break for the next three days. Let Leonz feed the family while you enjoy your company!
- Suzy Q’s Pizzeria & Cafe: Grab lunch while you’re Christmas shopping or stop by for a quick custom drink!
Other
- Suzy’s Florist: Add festive flowers to your home! Choose an impressive centerpiece or greet your visitors with a wreath on your door. Let Suzy’s complete your Christmas look.
- The Bargain Barn: Odds and ends with great deals on the things on your list this Christmas.
- David’s House of Flowers: Send a fresh arrangement to a friend or choose a beautiful artificial arrangement you will enjoy year after year. David’s House of Flowers can help.
- Kilgore’s: This long standing business offers everything from apparel to gifts and books.
- Slingin’ Ink: Body art is a gift that lasts forever.
Support Local, Celebrate Community
This Christmas, let’s come together to support the businesses that make Harlan County special. By shopping local, you’re not just buying a gift – you’re investing in our community, creating jobs, and keeping our traditions alive. Happy Holidays!
