As the holiday shopping season begins, we’ll all be seeing ads from national retailers hawking mass produced merchandise, gift cards and luxury cars adorned with bows. But if you live in New Orleans, you’re blessed with some great local options for holiday shopping, including many offering discounts for Black Friday and Small Business Saturday.
Here are a few great choices:
Ogden Museum of Southern Art
The Ogden Museum gift shop, which has a great selection of work by local craftspeople, books and prints related to ongoing museum exhibits, and supplies for the artistically inclined, is offering in-person 29% off specials on Museum Store Sunday (Nov. 29—who knew?) and 15% off online for Cyber Monday (Nov. 30). There are also discounts on memberships (and the museum is open, with masks and distancing mandatory) available on Cyber Monday!
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Peaches Records
Peaches Records, one of New Orleans most celebrated record stores, will be observing Record Store Day on Black Friday (Nov. 27). Grab a mask and observe their strict social distancing protocols (“no hugging Mama Peaches) to get your hands on some “limited edition, one-day-only LP pressings from every genre” for the turntable-equipped music lover in your life. Check other records stores in town too to see what they’re offering for the holiday.
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We Bite Rare and Unusual Plants
This unique plant store near where Elysian Fields meets St. Claude is offering specials for Black Friday and the entire post-Thanksgiving weekend. The store is offering some new varieties of its signature carnivorous plants, and if you’d prefer a plant that subsists simply on sunlight, soil and saturation, they have those too. Spend at least $50 and get a free 2″ nepenthes alata pitcher plant.
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Zony Mash Arts Bazaar
Zony Mash Beer Project, the Mid City brewery in the historic Gem Theater building, will be hosting an arts bazaar in its beer garden every Saturday starting Nov. 28. That’s Small Business Saturday, so it’s fitting that there will be gift items on sale from local artists and craftspeople, along with (naturally) Zony Mash’s own beer and pizza from Zee’s Pizza. This Saturday, enjoy music from Sam Price, with different artists each weekend.
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Home Malone
Home Alone is a Thanksgiving tradition for many families, so why not Home Malone? This store with locations in Mid City on Carrollton Avenue and Uptown on Magazine Street connects customers with goods from more than 100 local artists. It’s also making sure not to connect them with the coronavirus, offering online shopping with free contactless pickup or free local delivery for purchases above $75. You can also drop by for limited admission browsing or inquire about making an appointment to visit.
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Blue Cypress Books
The Oak Street new and used bookstore will be delivering some “special deals” for Small Business Saturday. The store is also hosting a signing that day with local writer Emily Hingle, whose debut book Band Room: New Orleans invites readers into the rehearsal and practice spaces used by musicians around the city.
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New Canal Lighthouse
The New Canal Lighthouse Museum on Lake Pontchartrain will be hosting a sale at its gift shop for Small Business Saturday, offering two-for-one deals on art, 20% off deals on Christmas ornaments, children’s books and toys, and half off branded merchandise like T-shirts and tote bags. You can also shop online with a coupon code. Remember that proceeds go to benefit the Pontchartrain Conservancy, which runs the museum.
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Ruby Slipper
This growing local chain of tasty brunch spots is offering a special on gift cards from now through the end of the year. Buy $50 in gift cards (whether that’s one card, or divided among multiple ones) and get a $10 bonus card that’s good for use in January.
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Art Garden & Floating Gallery
If you’ve been missing this colorful outdoor art and gift shop along Frenchmen Street, you’re in luck this weekend: The Art Gallery will be hosting its season reopening starting Friday night, with merchants in place on Friday and Saturday evening as well as Saturday and Sunday during the day. Expect to see festive lights and work for sale from local artists and artisans.
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M.S. Rau
Even this extraordinary, museum-like antique store on Royal Street in the French Quarter is offering some specials. Enjoy free shipping and gift wrapping on purchases and check out the collection of one-of-a-kind sale items up to 45% off, including an armoire made for Russian Tsar Nicholas II, Wedgwood pottery, and multiple sculptures by celebrated French impressionist and onetime New Orleans resident Edgar Degas. You may want to simply treat yourself to a look rather than buy: Even with discounts, M.S. Rau’s unique merchandise can run from the hundreds of dollars through the millions.
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Want to be featured in this year’s local gift guide? Email is at [email protected] for more information.
