4 Little Shops for Gift Giving
Maddie waits patiently outside the Mary Ballou Design shop on Main Street
I’m a big proponent of supporting small, local businesses. One great way to do that is to stock up on locally made products when I’m in the Adirondacks and give them as gifts for birthdays and holidays.
Here are four of my favorite Lake Placid shops to pick up locally made gifts and goodies:
Mary Ballou Design: Mary Ballou is a local artist and you’ll frequently find her in her shop on Main Street. I adore her whimsical drawings of Lake Placid and the Adirondacks, and stock her postcards in our cottage. You can find wonderful and unique greeting cards, calendars, canvas totes, art work, stationery and more.
Green Goddess: Going to Green Goddess on Saranac Ave. is just like going to the farmers’ market, and frankly, easier. They stock all kinds of local products as well as farm fresh meats, veggies, milk, eggs and yogurt. For gift giving (and stocking up at home) I love the small batch jams, honey, local syrup from Whitney’s or Black Rooster, and the Wildflora granola. You can also get excellent salads at their cafe and eat at the outside tables.
Bookstore Plus: Supporting independent bookstores is just a good thing. The Bookstore Plus on Main Street stocks curated titles by local and regional authors. Their section of children’s books is especially good, and they have lots of games and small gifts too. Don’t forget to check their event calendar for book signings and story time for the kids.
Pure Placid: These soaps and candles smell great and are a perfect remembrance of the Adirondacks. You can find the shop on Main Street, but they also sell their products in other stores around town. I also like Saranac Mountain Hearth soaps and scents, which we use at the cottage. They’re a smaller operation and usually have a table at the Saranac Lake farmers’ market.
