5 Genius, Local Gifts to Give this Holiday Season: Charlotte

 Escape the Holiday Rush at Exit Strategy

The holidays consume us from Black Friday until the New Year and it can be hard to find time to escape. This year gift your holiday obsessed family member with a trip to Exit Strategy. With two locations, Exit Strategy has a total of 9 escape rooms to choose from that cater to all experience levels and makes for the perfect activity to wind down during the holiday rush. Their rooms can accommodate anywhere from 2-8 players, so whether you gift this to good ole Mom and Dad or want this to be a family experience, you’ll find a way to escape the holidays at Exit Strategy.

Stuff Their Stockings with Sweet Treats from Amelie’s

Sweet treats from Amelie’s are good all year long, but nothing beats their baked goods during the holiday season. From festive macarons, decadent salted caramel brownies and sweet layered cakes, a treat from Amelie’s makes for the perfect gift to give this holiday season. Amelie’s has 4 locations in or near Charlotte so wherever you are in the Queen City, there is an Amelie’s right around the corner. Make sure to get your holiday orders in soon, they go faster than you can list all of Santa’s reindeer.

Pick up Local Gifts at the Charlotte Christmas Village

The Charlotte Christmas Village returns to Romare Bearden Park this year and the European-style market is the one-stop-shop for unique, local gifts. From Thanksgiving to Christmas Eve, the village is where you will find all of the perfect presents for every person on your holiday gift list. From trinkets and ornaments to traditional Austrian strudels and non-alcoholic Glühwein, there’s something for everyone at the market. Sip on a cup of hot chocolate as you stroll and shop, but don’t worry if you find a thing or two for you, it’s the season of giving.

Learn to Cook Winter Flavors at Chef Alyssa’s Kitchen

Share your love of cooking this year and gift someone with a class at Chef Alyssa’s Kitchen. Their classes range from Creole cooking to the tastes of Thai cuisine and since a gift card to Chef Alyssa’s is valid all year long, there will be plenty of classes for the gift recipient to choose from. But if you want to share this gift a little early, Chef Alyssa is teaching a Winter Flavors class on December 6th that will focus on cooking winter greens, squash and local seafood and beef.

Gift Your Love of Local Grub

Charlotte’s food scene is the gift that keeps on giving and luckily locals get to savor it every day. So show your out of town family what they are missing when they come to visit this holiday season and gift your love of local grub. Grab them a gift card to some of your favorite local restaurants like Fahrenheit, 5 Church and Luca Modern Italian Kitchen and let them experience one of your favorite, Queen City quirks. Since this city has an abundance of amazing restaurants, check out the full list of restaurants you can snag gift cards from for all your holiday gift needs.

We hope that you continue to support local and share your love of Charlotte this holiday season! For more ways to get in the holiday spirit this season, check out some of our favorite Holiday Activities in Charlotte.