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If you have not yet finished your holiday shopping, here are some great ideas to elevate the art of Arkansas gift-giving in hopes to simplify shopping and support our Arkansas businesses this holiday season. Enjoy shopping local with our 2021 Arkansas Gift Guide!
Culinary Delights
Country Monks – Subiaco Abbey
A faithful group of Country Monks are well known for their peanut brittle, hot sauce and woodworking gifts. Their Peanut Brittle recipe has been passed down by the monks and is still cooked at the Abbey by Fr. Richard and Fr. Reginald. The very hot “Monk Sauce” begins production during the winter as Fr. Richard prepares and grows the plants. They are then placed into the ground to be tended by Fr. Richard. After picking, they are then cooked with Fr. Richard’s special recipe, bottled, and then packaged to ship. Interestingly enough, the monks follow the ancient Benedictine way of life; which includes brewing beer! They make their beer available to the public only once a week in their TAP room located on the grounds of the Abbey.
Looking for more great Arkansas-made food gift ideas? Here are some of our favorites this year.
Don E-G’s – West Fork
Brothers Honey – Conway
Petit Jean Meats – Morrilton
Rabbit Ridge Farms – Bee Branch
Lambrecht Gourmet Foods – Heber Springs
House of Webster – Rogers
Wicked Mix — Little Rock
J&M Foods — Little Rock
Wright’s BBQ Sauce – Fayetteville
Markham & Fitz Chocolate – Bentonville
Burges – Lewisville & Little Rock
Loblolly Creamery — Little Rock
Two Dumb Dames Fudge Factory — Eureka Springs
Serenity Farm Bread — Leslie
War Eagle Mill — Rogers
Neighbor’s Mill — Harrison
Wild Sweet William’s Bakery – Searcy
Kopper Kettle Candies – Fort Smith & Van Buren
Coffee
For many people, coffee is just a way to get some energy in the morning. But for others, coffee is a hobby, a personality trait, a sport — a way of life. I know a little bit about Arkansas coffee, so here are some of my favorite coffee roasters in Arkansas, just perfect for a stocking stuffer.
Airship Coffee – Bentonville
Airship Coffee has carved out their own corner in Arkansas by focusing on quality, roasted coffee and relationships. The company started under a lime tree in Honduras, as farmers looked for a better way to sell coffee in order to make a living. Since their beginning, they’ve been committed to going above and beyond in all aspects of business. This commitment is about creating the perfect cup of coffee, and it’s about doing right by the people that they encounter along that journey for the perfect cup.
Shadrachs Coffee Roasting Company – Jonesboro
RoZark Hills Coffee Roasterie – Rose Bud
Onyx Coffee Lab — Rogers
Midtown Coffee – Russellville
Midnight Oil Coffeehouse – Searcy
Mr. Postman Expresso – Searcy
Arsagas – Fayetteville
Round Mountain Coffee — Conway
And, don’t forget the tea!
Savoy Tea Company – Fayetteville
Abbi’s Teas & Things — Little Rock
Fa La La La La Festive Drinks
Rock Town Distillery — Little Rock
Chateau aux Arc Vineyards and Winery — Altus
Point Remove Brewery – Morrilton
Three Birds Brewing Co. – El Dorado
Wicked Head Brewing Co. – Trumann
Native Dog Brewing – Camden
How about a trip to Arkansas Wine Country and the Arkansas Wine Trail, Post Familie Vineyards, or Tontitown? Definitely Fa La La La Festive!
Art
If you are looking for a unique and meaningful gift this holiday season, look no further than one of the many talented Arkansas artists that turn their passion into beautiful paintings, photography and pottery that can fill your home with beauty and joy.
Old Dog Pottery
Dale and Liane Maddox began making pottery in Hardy in the late 1970s before they relocated to Petit Jean Mountain in 2016 and opened their studio, Old Dog Pottery, in one of Arkansas’s most picturesque locations. They craft both stoneware and earthenware goods which can be purchased at Mammoth Spring State Park, Mather Lodge at Petit Jean, the Visitor Center at Petit Jean State Park as well as several other locations across the state.
Looking for more artists and styles? Check out these Arkansas artists.
Humble Hands Pottery | Learn more or shop online | Rogers
Kellee Mayfield | Plein Air Painting | Shop online | Mountain View
Fox Pass Pottery | Learn more or shop online | Hot Springs
Riley Art Glass Studio | Shop online | Hot Springs
Miller’s Mud Pottery | Learn more | Dumas
Red Suit Studio | Santa Themed Pieces | Learn more or shop online | Searcy
James Hays Art Glass | Learn more or shop online | Pine Bluff
Mary Margaret Made | Pet Portraits | Learn more or shop | Searcy
Duane Hada | Shop online | Mountain Home
Adventures
In a world that seems to run on consumerism, giving the gift of adventure is not only exciting for the recipient but better for the environment and the landfill. If you are looking to break away from material things, experiences are one of the most meaningful gifts you can gift. Adventures provide us with memories that last a lifetime all while making a positive impact on the Arkansans tourism industry.
Magic Springs
Since July 1978, Magic Springs in Hot Springs has provided families with over 40 years of thrills, splashes and brought a variety of musical entertainment acts to central Arkansas. The park is home to nearly 40 attractions including 5 rollercoasters and a water park. The Brain Drain is the newest ride added to celebrate its 40th anniversary in 2018. Season passes to Magic Springs are perfect for families and couples and are currently on sale for less than $70 through the Magic Springs website.
Looking for more adventures? Check out these exciting experiences across Arkansas.
Turpentine Creek | Learn more or purchase tickets | Eureka Springs
Crystal Bridges | Learn more or purchase a membership |Bentonville
Arkansas Travelers Baseball | Learn more or purchase tickets | Little Rock
Northwest Arkansas Naturals Baseball | Learn more or purchase tickets |Springdale
Murry’s Dinner Playhouse | Little Rock
Walton Arts Center | Fayetteville
Arkansas Music Pavillion | Rogers
The Rep | Little Rock
Mid-America Science Museum | Hot Springs
Museum of Discovery | Learn more or purchase tickets | Little Rock
Little Rock Zoo | Learn more or purchase tickets | Little Rock
Wearables, Candles, Bath & Beauty
Arkansocks launched in 2015 from Little Rock to provide the Natural State with high-quality socks that “pay tribute to the natural landscape and culture of Arkansas.” The socks include a variety of vibrant styles like ARgyle, Hog Leg, Duck Camp and even LIT Radar, reflecting the extremity of Arkansas weather. The shop has retail locations across the state and orders can be placed online.
Southern Trend – Fayetteville – t-shirts, hats and other clothing items across the South.
Natural Gear – Little Rock – scientifically-proven camouflage patterns
Find other great options for T-shirts and other wearable gifts from our article “Arkansas T-Shirt Apparel: Wearing Your State With Pride.”
Bella Vita – Little Rock – hand-crafted artisan pieces that run in small batches.
Bang-Up Betty – North Little Rock – unique and empowering pieces of jewelry
Mary Garrett Handcrafted Jewelry – Little Rock – unique jewelry of mixed metals and semi-precious
Rocking H Boots & Saddlery – Arden – Custom, handmade bags, boots, saddles, saddle repair, moccasins, holsters, gun and knife scabbards, belts, purses, chaps, chinks and more.
Rowe’s Leather Goods – Hope – handcrafted knife sheaths, gun holsters, leather wallet, and even boots
Photo Courtesy of E&E Soap Shop
Candles, Bath & Beauty
E&E’s Soap Shop began with a need for quality soap gentle enough for a baby’s skin, especially one suffering from eczema. Owners Emilee and Matthew Bowles bathed their second baby in a breast milk bath and watched the eczema disappear. They were so impressed, they started their own line of hand-poured soap products, although only their Baby Bum line features that magic ingredient. All ingredients in their soaps are natural and feature seasonal scents like “Christmas Morning,” “Holly Jolly” and “Winter Wonderland.” Orders within Morrilton city limits include free delivery, and Arkansans can visit E&E’s Soap Facebook page to place an order or find out where to buy the products locally.
For more great Arkansas-made soap companies and gift ideas, check out our article “10 Arkansas Soap Companies to Clean Up Your Holiday Shopping List.”
Other smell good gifts for the holidays:
Lux Candles – Des Arc
Twisted Lan Candles – Pine Bluff
Hanna’s Candlemart – Fayetteville
Melba Peach Candle Co. – Morrilton
Rock Creek Candle Co. – Russellville
Wax Candle Co. – Helena
Southern Whiskers Beard Co – Romance
For a great selection of Arkansas-made beard oils and beard care products, read our article “Arkansas Beard Care Companies Are Growing.”
Hit the Books! Arkansas books, of course
The Living Table: Recipes and Devotions for Everyday Get-Togethers
In The Living Table, Instagram personality and home chef Abby Turner shares easy-to-recreate recipes and fun, DIY projects that take 15 minutes or less. Each section starts with a first-hand account of the miraculous ways God has shown up at Abby’s table-how deep conversations have led to deep spiritual growth, how a new friend has become a forever friend, and how tears and laughs and mishaps have become treasured memories.
Other Beautiful Cookbooks by Arkansans to Gift this Christmas
From our Arkansas author bookshelf:
An Undercurrent of Murder and A Nasty Way to Die – two fictional mystery books based in Arkansas by retired Arkansas Tourism Director Joe David Rice
Backroads and Ballplayers: A Collection of Stories about Famous (and Not So Famous) Professional Baseball Players from Rural Arkansas – Jim Yeager
Rainforest Day – Letia Wyatt
Race Against Time: A Reporter Reopens the Unsolved Murder Cases of the Civil Rights Era – Jerry Mitchell
The Mystery of the Painted Book – Kimberly Mitchell
Arkansas Made, 2 volumes – Swannee Bennett, Jennifer Carman, and William B. Worthen
From all of us at OnlyInArk.com, we wish you a healthy and happy holiday season.
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