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December is in full swing and many Arkansans are in full shopping mode. Are you team shopping early or waiting until the last minute?
It’s no secret around here that we love an idyllic Christmas season. Bring on the Christmas lights, the holiday movies and cultural celebrations; it’s time for Christmas in Arkansas. But, let’s be honest, there are different kinds of Christmas shoppers.
- Last Minute Mamas
- Snag everything on the list, no questions asked
- Local love only
- Order to the doorstep
- Shop early and forget
No matter what kind of shopper you consider yourself, we have some fun Christmas shopping road trips to bring a little sparkle to the holidays while you see beautiful parts of Arkansas almost as quickly as you can swipe a shopping card!
If a road trip is what you desire, check out these themed routes that take you all over Arkansas with a mission in mind – complete your Christmas shopping list and create a new 2024 Arkansas Bucketlist!
NWA Square to Square
Shopping on a downtown square, entertainment district, or Main Street is great for kitchen stores, local toy stores, mercantile, book stores and gentlemen’s shops. Northwest Arkansas towns, north to south, have all the perfect shops for a whole weekend to shop ’til you drop. But save some room for great meals because the food is part of the trip in that corner of the state!
- Start with Breakfast at Prelude or grab a cup of coffee at Arsagas
- Fayetteville shopping – Riff Raff, City Supply, Freckled Hen House, Sleet City, Pink House Alchemy, Presley Paige, Gearhead, Sara Kathryn’s, Mockingbird Gifts, Kindness & Joy Toys, Maude
- Stay around, eat dinner at Cheers at the Old Post Office or Tula on the Square, and experience the Lights of the Ozarks.
- Day Two breakfast/brunch at Homegrown in Springdale and stroll downtown for the morning.
- Springdale shopping – Bella Gifts, R. McClintock studio, Maple Market, Milk + Sugar Bath Co., James + James, Midtown Mall, Revival Gifts,
- I highly recommend lunch at the Iron Horse Coffee Company (the Numan if you need a recommendation), then wander the streets of downtown Rogers for the rest of the day with a cup of Onyx coffee in hand!
- Rogers – Honeycomb Kitchen Shop, Fresh Harvest, Posh Alley, the Rusty Chair, The Dotted Pig, Alexander Baking Co, and shopping around the Promenade outdoor mall
- You can end the day in an Airbnb near downtown Bentonville, find a home restored by Dave and Jenny Marrs, or stay in a Victorian bed-and-breakfast.
- Quick breakfast at the Ozark Bagel Co. so you can plan a bigger sit-down lunch.
- Bentonville shopping – the square is the place to start with the Bentonville Mercantile, mixed art galleries, Three Dog Bakery, Phat Tire bike shop, Once Upon a Time Books, Blue Moon, Label Boutique and Overstreet’s Jewelry.
- A golf cart tour with Big on Bentonville is a great way to end the trip, beginning and ending under the lights of the Bentonville Square and many restaurant options.
- Neighboring communities like – Prairie Grove, Huntsville, Farmington, Gravette, and Van Buren are growing and bringing flair to the NWA shopping experience.
Junk and Jewels Antiques
While it’s easy to call this one an Antiques Road Show, you may find more treasures than expected on a whirlwind Arkansas tour where fleas go to market and milk paint covers grandma’s junk furniture.
- Start in downtown Hope, where Presidents and hopefuls launch from the train track platforms.
- Run up Interstate 30, where many towns offer places to pull off for refreshments, local dining and antique store pit stops.
- Plan to stop downtown at Jennifer’s Antiques in Conway and grab a sandwich while you are there.
- From there, travel to Clinton by way of Greenbrier. But don’t forget a quick stop at Pickles Gap Village to load up on Fudge and treats.
- Highway 65 is the Antique junction of Arkansas and will likely take the rest of your day! If you see it, stop at it because you are traveling north after this.
- Eureka Springs is your next destination, where haunted mansions meet quirky customers who hold many stories that are mostly true. Antique stores are scattered along your route, with many hiding near pocket parks and hilly drives.
- Somewhere in Time Antiques near downtown Rogers is an anchor store of the Benton County Flea Market tour.
- From there, head to Tontitown, where you can stroll at the Tontitown Flea Market and Country Classics for the rest of the day.
- Spend the night in a nearby Airbnb cottage or downtown Siloam Springs loft for a new day of treasures at Sassafras Antiques, Two Gals Junk, Steampunk Alley and Heart of the Home.
- Then finish your trip in downtown Prairie Grove, where many say the best treasures are at Daisies and Olive, Southern Mercantile and Miss Rosie’s. But five other shops along the same street give you plenty of options to dig through.
Walk the Line Wonderland
This trip will take you along Arkansas’s southern and eastern borders, shopping through towns that feed the world and offer expansive views of farming communities and heartbeat towns of Arkansas history.
- Downtown Texarkana – this area historically served as a railroad town, beaming with travelers, luxury hotels, holiday theater productions, and even a pivotal stop on the Memphis/Shreveport Hayride route for rock n’ roll musicians.
- Camden and El Dorado were cornerstone communities in the Civil War, oil production, and the booming manufacturing economy of Arkansas. Stop for fried fish at Wood’s Place or the Spudnuts Shoppe while in town.
- Great River Road – enter Lake Village, near two great state parks and weave along the path, town by town. Historical sites and Main Street communities will greet you and your shopping list as you find unique gifts to help you remember your road trip.
- Pull off in the Dyess area and tour the childhood home of singer Johnny Cash.
- While in the area, visit the A Painted House site in Lepanto, made for the movie by John Grisham
- Finish in Wilson, AR – a town rivaling Nashville, Tennessee and Savannah, Georgia, as quintessential southern destinations. White’s Mercantile and Wilson Cafe are essential stops before leaving the area.
- But plan to stay at The Louis and live in luxury as your gift to yourself this holiday season.
Made in Arkansas Stocking Stuffer Stroll
We know that many unique products come from all four corners of Arkansas. Whether artisan chocolates, fair trade roasted beans, deviled egg trays, golden candies or a sweet tea glass, this route will hit all four corners and the capitol city for some interesting Arkansas Products.
Northeast Arkansas
- Wax Candle Co. | Helena
- Panache, the Aromatique gift store | Heber Springs
- Serenity Farm’s Breads | Leslie
- Mountain Wire | Shirley
- Wildt Leather | Salem
Southeast Arkansas
- Millers Mud Mill | Dumas
- James Hayes Studio | Pine Bluff
- Grapette | Camden & Malvern
- JJ’s barbecue Sauce | El Dorado
- Topanga Scents | El Dorado
Southwest Arkansas
- Juanita’s Candy Kitchen | Arkadelphia
- Rockin H Originals | Arden
- Warren’s Shoes | Paris, stores in Fayetteville, Fort Smith and Little Rock
- Stirling Soap Co. | Paris
- Kopper Kettle Candies | Van Buren
Northwest Arkansas
- Daisy Airgun | Rogers
- Pink House Alchemy | Fayetteville
- Markham and Fitz Chocolates | Bentonville
- House of Webster | Rogers
- Southern Trend | Fayetteville
- Bone Appetite Bake Shop | Gentry
Central Arkansas
- Bentley Drinkware | Perryville
- Bang up Betty | North Little Rock
- Tea Bar at the Green Corner Store | Little Rock
- Heifer Village | Little Rock
- Old Dog Pottery | Morrilton
- Bathhouse Soapery and Caldarium | Hot Springs
- RoZark Hills Coffee Roasterie | Rose Bud
And, if you are still looking for ideas, check out our gift guides for all kinds of people on your list.
- Outdoor Gift Guide
- Makers Gift Guide
- Dads and Moms Gift Guides
- Arkansas Cookbooks
- White Elephant Gifts
- Stocking Stuffers
- An Arkansas Experience or Year-Round Membership
- A New Skill
Unless otherwise noted, images used with permission from Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism.
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All my family is antiquers. . I got my brother, who is retired from Ma Bell (!!!) a really old phone at Higdon Ferry Antiques in Hot Springs. He nearly cried.
We shop there every time we exit the Big Woods to find a small city with antiques. Haha! We almost always stay there until closing. Just love it.