Where to Do Your Holiday Shopping

For many Chicagoans, gift shopping is an annual commercialist slog — especially in this snow. But it doesn’t have to be! Today, we’ve got gift ideas for under $10, small business recs, and plenty more to make shopping fun.

Gifts Under $10

Gift-giving on a budget? Sure, you could go with a homemade card or some cuddle coupons. Or you could impress with thrifty finds from across the city.

Highlights from today’s podcast come from:

But my personal favorite gift that only costs $10 (per month) is a City Cast Chicago Neighbor membership. Yes, you can gift these. And yes, your local-loving friends will appreciate it.

Reader Recommendations

What makes City Cast Chicago — and City Cast Chicago membership — so special is the community we’re cultivating. So we take recs from our readers and listeners very seriously.

Here are some local businesses y’all shouted out on Instagram:

Other Shops and Holiday Markets

While some neighborhoods definitely have a reputation for quirky, cutesy shops (lookin’ at you, Andersonville), there are unique spots to shop local in every neighborhood.

Block Club’s detailed guides are nifty resources for shopping all corners of the North, South, and West Sides. Meanwhile, you can stay up-to-date on specialized holiday and pop-up markets on our weekly events page 👇