A Few of Our Favorite Things

Are you needing to shop for last-minute gifts for friends or family? If you're like me, you've procrastinated, but still want to buy meaningful gifts for folks while supporting local. Here's a list of 15+ unique things my coworkers and I love to give (or receive) over the holidays, providing insight for our visitors on where our locals shop. Let our favorite things inspire what local businesses you support this holiday season in Cumberland County!

Something Fragrant

Leclair’s General Store, located in our Haymount Historic District, carries a line of P.F. Candle Co. products that I’m obsessed with, and I bought several of their reed diffusers and candles to give as gifts last Christmas. I have the Teakwood & Tobacco Reed Diffuser in my office now, but you really can’t go wrong with any of their warm, natural-smelling scents.

Visit Leclair’s at 1212 Fort Bragg Road, Fayetteville OR shop their online store for select products.

My boss, Melody, recently discovered a new boutique in our Town of Hope Mills called Bath Snob, and she’s been raving about their products, all of which are made by hand, onsite. In particular, she recommends purchasing one of their 17 different sugar scrubs to give as a gift, but this bath, body, and candle boutique has plenty of other products to spoil a loved one or friend, as well.

Visit Bath Snob at 3505 North Main Street, Hope Mills OR shop their online store.

Downtown Fayetteville’s Hummingbird Candle Co. may be known for their candle-making workshops, but some of their other products, like room sprays, make for perfect stocking stuffers. The 000 is their original, signature candle and my favorite of all because of its more masculine, rich scent. Luckily, they now offer that same scent in a room spray, too, and it is so concentrated that one spray of it in my house lingers all day.

Visit Hummingbird at 240 Hay Street, Fayetteville OR shop their online store.

At Broad River Hemp Company, in downtown Fayetteville, you’ll find a variety of CBD and hemp products, including a line of hemp-infused Beard Oils that is quite popular with their customers. Even local barbershops love using these oils on their customers. Claims that they “add luster to your beard while strengthening thin or fragile strands and giving your beard an overall thicker appearance” seem to be true, as evident in the bearded gents who work there.

Visit Broad River at 102 Robeson Street, Fayetteville OR shop their online store for select products.

Something Artistic

My friend and owner of McFadden Studio, Katlin, recently held her first art exhibit opening at downtown’s NC Center for Economic Empowerment & Development (CEED) and unveiled her Human Nature series for attendees. These gorgeous acrylic paintings on canvas were inspired by local photographer Tysha Hallman’s serene photos of women, and I fell in love with Katlin’s “Reflection” painting the moment I laid eyes on it. While original works are available for purchase, the prints on deep matte photographic paper are just as lovely and are numbered and signed.

Visit CEED at 230 Hay Street, Fayetteville OR shop McFadden Studio online.

Melody has shopped downtown’s Cape Fear Studios for many gifts over the years and loves to send our travel writers there so they can see what our incredibly talented, local artists have created. While you can find just about any type of artwork for sale there, you can always count on a beautiful variety of handmade pottery, such as vases. I happened to win a piece of pottery in a drawing there a couple of years ago, and it’s one of my favorite pieces of original artwork in my home.

Visit Cape Fear Studios at 148 Maxwell Street, Fayetteville.

Something Tasty

Considering the year we’ve all had, gifting alcoholic beverages seems like a fine idea to me, and if you ask my coworker, David, he’ll tell you it doesn’t get much better than craft beer from our Dirtbag Ales Brewery & Taproom. Luckily, this Hope Mills brewery right off I-95 cans their more popular beers in 4-packs of 16-ounce cans and 6-packs of 12-ounce cans. Of course, growlers and crowlers are also available, and curbside delivery gives folks a safe option for pickup. For a little reminder of summer, I insist you try their newest canned beer release: Peachy Mosaic.

Visit Dirtbag Ales at 5435 Corporation Drive, Hope Mills.

My coworker, Amy, knows her boyfriend loves anything chocolate, but he’s especially crazy about chocolate-covered coffee beans. This year, Amy’s headed to Cumberland Coffee Roasters, in our Town of Hope Mills, to pick some up for his stocking. This sweet little cafe roasts their beans, and you’ll find they’ve stocked up on their Christmas Blend and Christmas Espresso seasonal coffees, as well.

Visit Cumberland Coffee at 3109 North Main Street, Hope Mills OR shop their online store for select products.

My son, Isaiah, tried Unicorn Cotton Candy popcorn from HotSugarPop at a baseball game a couple of years ago, and he’s been obsessed with their gourmet kettle corn ever since. What started out as an experiment by the owners to make something safe to eat for their son with food allergies quickly morphed into a business that would pop up at events around town (pun intended). Their popularity with our locals led to them opening a shop inside our Cross Creek Mall, where you can find up to 25 different flavors of delicious, GMO-free popcorn.

Visit HotSugarPop at 419 Cross Creek Mall, Space #250, Fayetteville OR shop their online store.

Downtown Fayetteville’s Rude Awakening Coffee House now carries hot cocoa bombs, the trendy indulgences everyone is raving about in 2020. Even better, a locally owned bakery, Sinful Decadence Cupcakes, supplies this downtown coffee shop with several flavors of bombs—including their limited-edition, red velvet flavor that doubles as a Christmas ornament—which has been a huge hit with their loyal customers.

Visit Rude Awakening at 227 Hay Street, Fayetteville OR shop Sinful Decadence Cupcakes’ online store.

Something Stylish

You can’t visit the Fayetteville area without seeing a local sporting apparel made by Pressed - A Creative Space. This popular downtown gift shop is my coworker Natalie’s favorite spot to shop for sassy t-shirts, and they get more and more creative with their line of seasonal apparel every year. You’ll find plenty of other trendy gift items for males, females, and even furry family members that make for great stocking stuffers there, as well.

Visit Pressed at 120 Hay Street, Fayetteville OR shop their online store.

When it comes to high-end men’s apparel, it doesn’t get much classier than our Ties by Marcus. Over the years, owner Marcus has expanded into suits, dress shirts, accessories, and more, so it’s really a one-stop shop for the businessman in your life.

Visit Ties by Marcus at 5804 Yadkin Road, Fayetteville OR shop their online store.

With 275K+ Facebook followers, it’s safe to say Off the Racks Boutique is Cumberland County’s most popular boutique. Located in our Town of Eastover, this sweet little shop regularly rotates its inventory to keep up with the latest trends in women’s fashion. Their Christmas pajama sets and slippers make for adorable gift options, and don’t overlook their accessories for fun, affordable stocking stuffers.

Shop Off the Racks’ online store (instore shopping not available during the pandemic).

Something Homey

There’s a whole new line of apparel, souvenirs, and other products available for purchase at the Fayetteville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau's (FACVB) Fayetteville NC Gear Store, located downtown. These Fayetteville-branded products show off our community’s pride in this special place. My coworker, Kelly, is especially fond of our smaller mementos—like our ornaments, trivet, coasters, magnets, and keychains—as they make great trip souvenirs or gifts to family living in other places.

Visit Fayetteville NC Gear at 245 Person Street, Fayetteville OR shop their online store.

The Front Porch Southern Decor is a charming shop in our Town of Hope Mills that offers a wide range of seasonal decor and gift items. They’re known for their darling farmhouse-style signs and other wall art, much of which they make by hand, but Melody is also fond of their vintage-looking tree ornaments, which make for sweet gift adornments.

Visit The Front Porch at 5548 Trade Street, Hope Mills OR shop their online store.

Woodworking is in Kurt Ballash's blood, as he likes to say, and this U.S. Army Veteran is living his passion, post-service, through his business, Ballash Woodworks. Some of their more popular items are their handcrafted cutting boards, like The Colonel or The Lieutenant, but their rolling pins, wood lamps, chess boards, and much more make for handsome gifts, as well.

Visit Ballash at 432-B Cedar Creek Road, Fayetteville OR shop their online store.

The above list doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of Cumberland County's shopping options. You'll find 500+ more options on VisitFayettevilleNC.com, which also proudly promotes area hotels, attractions, and the many businesses that make Cumberland County a tourism destination and a special place. Also be sure to check out the FACVB's Antiquing Trail, Literary Lanes Trail, and Second-Hand Treasure Trail for some handy shopper resources.

Please directly contact any of the businesses mentioned in this blog before visiting to ensure they are open for business.