With the holiday season fast approaching, many York residents are wondering where to find the perfect Christmas gifts for their friends and family. The good news is that York has a wide variety of shops selling many items to suit all ages, tastes, and preferences. Take a trip to some of the stores below to complete your Christmas shopping. Then set aside the rest of the season for decorating, relaxing, and spending quality time with your family.
Christmas Tree Hill in the Mansion
Christmas decorations by Susanne Nilsson is licensed with CC BY-SA 2.0
The festive Christmas Tree Hill shop offers a combination of tree and house decor for the Christmas season, along with an assortment of gifts and stocking stuffers. Shoppers love that it's a one-stop shop for all their Christmas needs. Even better, the store is located in the historical mansion of Meadowbrook, over 200 years old and a significant part of York's local history. While you shop, stop and admire the beautiful, themed rooms of the mansion and the exquisite architectural details of this old house.
At Christmas Tree Hill, you can buy lights for the house and tree ornaments while also picking out games, puzzles, and activity books that make the perfect stocking stuffers for children. The store also offers a wide selection of candles, garden and home ornaments, charming framed wall art, jewelry, handbags, and cozy rugs and mats. One trip here will check many boxes from your Christmas shopping to-do list.
The York Emporium
If you have any book lovers, visit The York Emporium. This quaint store has a vast collection — over 250,000 titles — of used books, comics, records, and some antiques, tucked away on its shelves. Any friends and families who love to read and are fond of classics and vintage items will be happy to receive a gift from this store.
Despite the massive size of the emporium, which has over 19,000 feet of space, the classic wooden aisles and cozy decor create a warm and nostalgic atmosphere. Shoppers who feel overwhelmed by the many shelves and selections of books can always ask the generous owners for help. The people who work at York Emporium love matching shoppers to readers and can help point you in the right direction. This store gets dressed up nicely for the Christmas season, so a visit here will satisfy even the most exhausted shoppers in the holiday mood.
Christmas Tree Shops
Located at the York Galleria, this Christmas Tree Shops store is ideally placed for someone looking to buy all their Christmas gifts at once. The Galleria has over 60 shops for children, clothing, electronics, and beauty. Stop and pick up the items you need for your loved ones, then finish your trip by looking for unique presents at Christmas Tree Shops. Despite its name, the store doesn't sell trees; it specializes in year-round and seasonal furniture, home decor, kitchen items, and gifts for all ages.
If you need to buy gifts for anyone newly married, a new homeowner, or just finished major renovations, this is where you want to shop. Christmas Tree Shops has all the top brands selling bed, bath, kitchen, dining, and patio items. If you are hosting any of the season's celebrations at your house, the store also offers party supplies and decorations, and do-it-yourself party favors so that you can make your event extra special.
Dover Antique Mall
Shoppers looking for something truly unique will love the items on display at the Dover Antique Mall. In 2012, the mall started as a simple idea to help one man sell his things. The owners of the Dover Area Animal Hospital saw an opportunity in a nearby empty Goods Furniture building to help their father sell some of the many, many items he had collected over the years. They had the right idea because the store quickly took off.
Today, the mall has over 130 booths run by local vendors that offer a wide array of classic, one-of-a-kind finds. These include clothing, vinyl records, toys, collectibles, antiques, decor, and furniture. People tired of buying mass-produced trinkets and worried about giving their loved ones a gift they might already have will find unique gifts at Dover Antique Mall.
Since its founding, the mall has expanded to a space of over 27,000 feet laid out over two floors. No matter how large a family you have or how many people you have to shop for, you will likely be able to find almost everything you need here.
The Christmas Market at Flinchbaugh's Orchard
Enjoy a proper, European-style outdoor Christmas Market with a stop by the Christmas Market at Flinchbaugh's Orchard in Hellam, which hosts excellent seasonal markets all year. Warm up with a hot mulled cider, and support Pennsylvania's artists and creators by buying the locally-made arts and crafts on sale. The market's warm fire pit, delicious food, and cheerful carolers create a cozy, wondrous Christmas experience for the whole family to enjoy.
Best of all, both children and adults love the local fuzzy alpaca family. That's right; the market always brings in a family of alpacas from the Alpacas of York as a special treat for their customers. Shoppers can also expect musical performances and an incredibly cheerful atmosphere at the market every year.
In 2022, the market will take place on Dec. 3 and 4; Santa will show up between 12-2 p.m. to hear the children’s wish lists and entertain everyone.
No matter what gifts your loved ones appreciate, the York area has a wide range of eclectic and unique shops with great finds. If you know of any other local shops that sell great unique gifts, get in touch with us at Apple Honda of York and share your suggestions. We will be happy to feature some new shops next year.