2024 NWA Gift Guide - Small Business Saturday

 Are you also tired of the din of a hundred unread emails selling you on the newest viral object from corporate giants using million dollar smart ad campaigns to target your wallet? Looking for something different - something more meaningful and unique in a world pushing a never ending cycle of planned obsolescence mass market fads? What to do? 

Well look no further friends and readers, here are some of our very favorite picks for local small businesses in Northwest Arkansas that you can support this Small Business Saturday. When you shop local, you're more likely to find unique gifts with better customer service, whilst  strengthening the local economy, supporting your neighbors, and celebrating the community. We dare you to visit all those places you've been meaning to get to and try out a new local experience this holiday season.

 
Books
Pearls Books (Fayetteville, Arkansas)

Pearls is a local, independent bookstore, with a great selection of floor to ceiling books, fantastic book recommendations, and wonderful community events! What's not to love? There is a strong emphasis on new releases, local authors, and great vibes. They are the kind of local bookstore every community needs - and full of wonderful humans who make the whole experience magical. 

 

Gaming Accessories
 Ebonrook (Prairie Grove, Arkansas)

Ebonrook creates stunning artisan-crafted tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG) accessories and fantasy-themed jewelry. From custom dice trays and dice boxes to exquisite game master screens and enchanting fantasy jewelry made of fine hardwood and resin.

 

Art
Jason Jones (Fayetteville, Arkansas)

Jason is an American Visual Artist. Fascinated with the sustainability of art and how it might be repurposed, Jason grabbed old, vintage artworks and began adding what would become his signature style. Exploring both intimate studio works and large-scale outdoor public art, his practice expresses a dialogue between old and new, bringing a whimsical tone with each work.

 

Activities
Arkadia Retrocade (Fayetteville, AR)

There are few things as wonderfully nostalgic as an arcade and Arkadia Retrocade packs a ton of value and love into the expansive collection of over a hundred different retro machines from the 70's to the 90's. For only $5 for unlimited play all day, you cannot beat the entertainment value for a family and folks of any age. With a snack bar, places to sit and play old systems on CRT TVs, and the chillest vibes, you absolutely must make a stop at the Arkadia Retrocade if you're in the area.  

 

 

 Journals and Stationary 
Little Mountain Bindery  (Fayetteville, AR)

Little Mountain Bindery is a hand bookbindery nestled in the Ozarks specializing in custom books, book and Bible repair and restoration, custom boxes, and fillions. They also run workshops on bookbinding from beginner to advanced elements, and are a wonderful group of folks who are passionate about keeping the craft of bookbinding alive. 

 

Candles
Candles by Whitney (Fayetteville, AR)

These aren't your grandma's candles! Candles by Whitney is a small, woman-owned candle, diffuser, and wax melt company from NWA that's making beautifully blended, clean natural scents. The candles feature 24 karat gold leaf for that extra luxurious touch, made with soy wax for longer scent retention and a cleaner burn. 
Our personal favorite is the Library 24K candle, which has notes of teakwood, leather, cedar, musk, amyris, patchouli, and sandalwood, which sets the mood for a nice long reading session. 

 

Local Snacks
Hogeye Honey (Hogeye, AR)

Honey is apparently the third most-counterfeited food in the world, where manufacturers dilute real honey with syrup or chemically modify syrups to look like real honey. If you want the real deal, you need look no further than local farm raised honeybees and Hogeye Honey. They are a honeybee farm located south of Fayetteville in Hogeye, AR, a small region located on the edge of the Boston Mountains nestled against the Illinois River. The bees have plenty of natural forage and no commercial cropland, and are inspected by the state bee inspector (!) to check for disease and bee health. As a bonus, local honey has the potential to combat seasonal allergies caused by local plants, in addition to medicinal benefits such as anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties. Besides benefitting the local plant life with happy pollinators, supporting local honey helps the bee population! 

 

Zelli Pasta (Springdale, AR)

Picture it, Springdale, 2024 - A small, family owned pasta shop making delicious pastas and sauces from beginning to end. They produce, package, and fulfill their pasta from their workshop in Springdale in the classic style. This is pasta made with organic durum semolina, the grained milled to order, made with Italian bronze dies (not teflon) for superior sauce retention and dried at low temps to retain the nutrients of the grains and integrity of the pasta. This is pasta your grandmother would be excited for. 

Pottery
Pyrogenic Arts (Fayetteville, AR)

Pyrogenic Arts consists of handmade work from clay, glass, cloth, and fiber, featuring imagery inspired by nature, anatomy, and horror/sci-fi/fantasy pop culture. Randi is a full time educator and creates highly detailed, dynamic forms in jewelry, pottery, and fiber art. 

 

Special Pottery Shoutout: Griffith Pottery Works (West Fork) - Teresa Griffith is an absolute sweetheart and expert potter, offering one on one/small group adult pottery lessons in her private pottery studio. 

 

Collectible Coins and Giftshop
Shire Post Mint (West Fork, AR)

Aside from being an internationally renowned small, family-owned coin mint making officially licensed and original coins made of solid metals via hand-engraved dies on antique coin presses, we ALSO are a local gift shop and small museum. Though our retail location may be small, it be packed with a curated selection of gifts from local artists and makers like the folks mentioned above. If you'd like to see many of these items in one spot, come check out our physical retail store at 52 W Main St, West Fork, AR 72774 open M-Sat 9-5! We also have a lovely wilds area and food trucks like Nacho Mommas and Detra's Diner making scrumptious smoked BBQ and old fashioned burgers available in the lot, along with tasty drink adventures courtesy of the Wondering Teahouse. 

We're honored to know so many wonderful and talented people in the NWA area and we believe that a rising tide lifts all boats. Community over competition. We highly encourage everyone to go out and get to know your neighbors and support a local small business this holiday season.