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It’s officially the holiday season — and the SacramenKnow team has been busy thinking about all of the great gifts the City of Trees has to offer.
But we’re not the only people who love Sacramento. So we turned to experts to help us gather ideas.
Here’s a list of gifts that’ll wow any Sacramentan, gathered from CapRadio staff, our own gift-giving experiences and the SacramenKnow audience:
"I've been giving as gifts original artwork from artists, both in Sacramento and some from Southern California. The artist that creates pop/modern art goes by Rose City (recently had a gallery showing at Timeless Thrills) and some of the local and affordable art that is Sacramento-centric, I've found at Superbum. Both Timeless Thrills and Superbum fully support our fair city and so we shop through them as much as possible."
—Emily Schile, SacramenKnowan
"When I know a friend’s style well, I love when I can get them a really niche, thrifted gift! But to be completely honest, I’m not the most knowledgeable about brands or identifying when an item of clothing was made. For that reason, I love buying gifts from local second hand shops that really know their stuff. Some of my favorite shops include Racks Vintage Boutique (which actually tells you the date of when an item was made, and specializes in truly vintage clothing), SecondHand Hustle (lots of menswear), and Soul House Vintage (a new shop with great pieces and equally great prices)."
—Manola Secaira, CapRadio Environment and Climate Change Reporter
"My daughter gave my son a BoomCase and he loves it. She was able to give the designer some requests and it turned out perfectly. BoomCases are made in Sacramento and sold all around the world."
—Julia Mee, SacramenKnowan
"A month after I arrived in Sacramento, I was invited to an epic White Elephant party. Two gifts were bitterly fought over: A vintage Sacramento Kings hat from Freestyle and a beautiful dried flower wreath from Full Belly Farm (available at the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op). Two crowd favorites!"
—Kate Wolffe, CapRadio Health Care Reporter
"I love gifting Sacramento themed coasters. There are so many interesting styles and locations that are hyper-specific for locals (like Front Street or the Zebra Club)."
—Ashley, SacramenKnowan
"A membership for The Dreamland Cinema is a great gift for the local cinephile. I love indie movies and Dreamland's calendar is always packed with the best selections! Some of the most unique Sacramento-themed art comes from my pal and local artist Lily Rushing (@goofwench). Lily's work is a perfect combination of silly and heartfelt, as shown in her prints of Sacramento's Beam, the legendary Pancake Circus, and parody of the Lady Bird poster. I have a couple of her prints in my cubicle and it's fun when colleagues get a kick out of it!"
—Sarah Kamiya, CapRadio Member Engagement Coordinator
"Gifting a membership to the Crocker Art Museum is a fun way to explore Sacramento. It includes unlimited visits, special previews of the latest exhibitions, early access to creative art-making classes, and more."
—Vicki Gonzalez, CapRadio Insight Host
"'150 frequently seen birds of California's Great Valley' is a spiral-bound bird guide with beautiful photos from local photographers. If you see a bird around your home or on a walk, it will be in this book. Highly recommend for those who enjoy nature and are bird-curious. You can find it at Effie Yeaw Nature Center, Wild Birds and Gardens in Fair Oaks, or online."
—Rachael Cowan, CapRadio Member Engagement Coordinator
"Fans of the American River Parkway can get Parkway swag! They have T-shirts, maps, art, mugs and more!"
—Julia, SacramenKnowan
"I got this Light the Beam Christmas Ornament for my Christmas tree from Etsy. It looks really cool!"
—Keyshawn Davis, CapRadio Communities Reporter
"I’ve written a lot about local bookstores and libraries in my time as a communities reporter, so it should come as no surprise that my go-to holiday gifts are books. Fortunately, Sacramento has a variety of local bookstores specializing in unique niches. Know someone who loves learning about philosophy or spiritualism? Visit Beers Books to find the perfect gift (the store is attached to a record store, which is a bonus if you know anyone into music). Got an artist in your life trying to perfect their craft? Consider getting them something from Sacramento’s only bookstore specializing in the arts, Amatoria Fine Art Books. There’s also a Winter Book Crawl going on until Dec. 24 that offers a prize for anyone who visits all 10 participating bookstores — Beers and Amatoria included."
—Gerardo Zavala, CapRadio Communities Reporter
"My mom is a big music lover, so a few years ago when I stumbled upon Rare Bird Stereos at the Midtown Farmers Market I knew I’d have to get her one of her own. Owner Kaden takes found objects and turns them into incredibly cool — and functional — speakers. I asked him to turn a tin box which used to hold one of my mom’s favorite childhood snacks into a speaker, and he absolutely delivered.
Another favorite gift of mine to give is an entire box of pastries from Mahoroba Japanese Bakery. If you’ve never been, first of all, change that right now, and second of all, they’ve got signs up to help you know which pastries are the most popular. My favorites are the Kobe Cream Delight and the Green Tea Sunrise, but everything is top-notch. "
—Claire Morgan, CapRadio Assignment Manager
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