The holidays are fast approaching and the inevitable stress of what to get your friends and family will soon sink in as your holiday of choice closes in. Lucky for you your old pal Red has some suggestions for you. Be the “cool family member”, wow your significant other or surprise that secret crush with locally crafted art and goods this winter holiday season. Support local folks making incredible things and be unique as heck in the process.

Head below to see just a few of the ideas we have for you from local musicians, crafts folks and artists…

Give the gift of music: You could just hit up the Favorites of 2016 list HERE and pick and choose your way through the records there and call it a day, but I would specifically like to call out Ian Fitzgerald’s “You Won’t Even Know I’m Gone” , Zach Schmidt’s ‘The Day We Lost the War” Cowboy & Lady’s “Take Me To Town“, Honeysuckle (self titled), Lula Wiles (self titled), Sam Moss’s “Fable“, Michaela Anne’s “Bright Lights and the Fame“, Anthony Da Costa’s “Da Costa“, Joe K. Walsh’s “Borderland” and Aaron Lee Tasjan’s “Silver Tears” as the “perfect 10” package deal of varied and totally kick ass music for that certain loved one in your life. Rock n’ roll and rootsy goodness, feel the feelings and comfy up with a cup of cocoa (or winter whiskey), pop these records on the ol’ player and enjoy some of the finest crafted music from 2016. (links to each on the record name)

A picture is worth a thousand words: You see them grace your Instagram feed, now have their photos grace your walls or coffee tables. A couple of my favorite photographers put out great collections this year or are just having really great sales for the holidays on their respective websites (or, get this, schedule a sitting with one of them and have your photo made if scheduling works out). A few of the folks making the best portraits, landscapes and images out there that we would love to have hanging on our own walls: Laura Partain, Giles Clement, Emilia Pare and Joshua Black Wilkins top the list of image magic makers who’s eye for brilliant compositions continue to blow me away. Get something from one (or all) of them today and be blow away each and every day.

Art…literally, art: There are thousands of artists creating really cool stuff on the interwebs and Etsy, but I choose to grace my walls with the prints of Dan Blakeslee (one in the living room, one in the studio) and William Schaff (one is hung right next to my head as I type this). Beautiful things created by hand and a sure conversation piece to anyone who enters your home, apartment, tour van…etc.

“Give a man a fish…teach a man to fish” (or give them a guitar and reap the benefits of song): So, this is a big one but there are some amazing folks out there we know creating and building instruments or repairing them that would make any of the little pickers in your life extremely happy. I personally swear by my Girouard Mandolin and Laura and Max continue to expand their craft with recent guitar bodied octaves and fanned fret mandolas. If its the six string variety you are after, then Circle Strings out of Burlington, VT is a sure bet. I played a few of luthier Adam Buchwald’s guitars at Freshgrass in years past and the tone and playability of these things is fantastic (and as far as custom instruments go, they are fairly affordable). Just looking for a fret job and maybe a set up for your loved ones instrument (or looking to give yourself the gift of making your old axe a bit more friendly to your fingers?): David Richard Luthiery is right up the street from us and well worth the trip. The care and attention Dave puts into his work is unrivaled and his knowledge of all things strings is seemingly unending.

Well, there you have it. Get out and away from the big box stores this holiday season and give the gift of something truly special and unique…all while supporting incredibly talented people.