Your 2024 guide to Pennsylvania-inspired gifts

Stumped on what to gift your favorite pal in Pa. this holiday season? We have some ideas.

Whether you’re playing up the Pennsylvania theme or just wanting to support local businesses and regional artists, we have ideas for the best gifts to give this holiday season in Pennsylvania.

For the foodie: A Pa. Snack Basket

Pay homage to the Pennsylvania “Snack Belt” by creating a gift basket of some of Pennsylvania’s best snack foods. You’ll of course want to cover favorite Pa. potato chip brands like Herr’s, Utz, and Middleswarth. But you can also add Philadelphia’s Tastykake, some (holiday-themed!) marshmallow Peeps from Bethlehem, Hershey Kisses, and pretzels from Snyder’s of Hanover. You could also stuff a bottle of Heinz ketchup in there, just because. Bonus points if the basket is made in Pennsylvania!

For the sports lover: Vintage sports gear

Pennsylvania sports fans are serious sports fans. This year, give your favorite sports lover something unique to celebrate their allegiance to their team—by going back in time! While you can easily pick up a team’s current jersey or a souvenir baseball online, your options widen when you consider the sports memorabilia that’s been around for decades. Vintage pennants often have fun, old versions of team logos and vintage sports tees and jerseys might pop in different, unexpected colors. But where to find such vintage sports gear?

You can crawl vintage shops in your town, which are likely to have many items from your local team if it’s been around a long time. Pittsburgh Steelers fans might find shirts celebrating the 1970s-era “Steel Curtain,” while Philadelphia Phillies fans could find memorabilia from 1980, when the Phillies won the World Series. You might also want to hit up area flea markets or holiday vintage markets.

In the Philly area, you’ll definitely want to visit Shibe Vintage Sports, a mecca for throwback Philly sports gear. You should also look online. Etsy has a lot of listings for vintage team gear, and you can even search by location if you want to support a local vintage business. For example, Etsy shop TheSportsAlternative is based in Moon Township and has nearly 2,000 vintage pennants for sale.

For the Pennsylvania history buff: Pa. folk art

Pennsylvania has a legacy of folk art that’s both fascinating and helpful for the Pa.-focused gift giver.

For example, the pottery craft of the Pennsylvania-German Moravian community lives on through decorative Moravian tiles, which you can learn more about at The Tileworks in Doylestown, a “working history museum” that both chronicles the history of tilemaking and still produces tiles in the traditional manner. The Tileworks also has a gift shop where you can purchase Moravian tiles for your friends and family. You might also be interested in Amish furniture, renowned for its strength and durability, for sale across the commonwealth but especially in Lancaster County, the center of Pa. Dutch Country.

For those who have everything they need: Pa. experiences

Pa. is full of fantastic museums, gardens, and theater companies that promise an incredible day or evening out. Gift a fun experience to friends or family—especially to those who have everything—by grabbing them tickets to places like Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, the Mattress Factory contemporary art museum in Pittsburgh, or the Colonial Theatre in Phoenixville for an upcoming film or live show. You could even purchase a membership to a museum or garden as a gift—supporting a Pa. organization and allowing your loved one several excursions over the next year!

For the cocktail aficionado: Rye whiskey and other Pa. liquor

Whiskey is important to the history of Pennsylvania, given that the commonwealth was home to the infamous Whiskey Rebellion. But the fields of western Pa. are known for a specific type of whiskey—rye whiskey.

This year, gift the special spirit to a special someone, but be sure it was crafted in Pa. Some favorite Pa. rye whiskeys include those made by Washington’s Liberty Pole Spirits and the Lehigh Valley’s Eight Oaks Farm Distillery. You might also want to gift the rye alongside another whiskey-themed gift, like a planned trip to the Whiskey Rebellion Education and Visitor Center in Washington or a copy of the book “The Whiskey Rebellion and the Rebirth of Rye: A Pittsburgh Story,” written by two of the co-founders of Pittsburgh’s Wigle Whiskey.

Not a fan of whiskey? You can pick up a wide variety of Pa.-made liquor—and only liquor and other alcohol made in Pa.—at Pennsylvania Libations, which has two locations in Pittsburgh and one in Philadelphia.

For the tricky gift recipient—or for you, when you want an excuse to visit a holiday market: Gifts from local art markets

Head to local art markets like Made in Philadelphia Holiday Market (open through Jan. 1) or Pittsburgh’s Handmade Arcade Holiday Market (Dec. 6-7), where you can purchase gifts from local artists and makers. You can shop for creative works like jewelry, photography, art prints, home décor, and all sorts of unique goods you may have never seen—or even imagined before! What about a clay pierogi magnet or stickers featuring Pa. cryptids? Who knows what you’ll find! 

Smaller towns also often host makers’ marts for the holiday season, such as the annual Artisans’ Market in Honesdale (Dec. 8) and the HBG Flea in Harrisburg (Dec. 7, 2024). 

This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.