Indiana has some great destinations for those who fancy a road trip and a chance to cross names off their shopping lists simultaneously.
They offer charm and locally-owned boutiques at which to find thoughtful gifts for hard-to-buy family and friends or to grab a special trinket or treat for yourself. Some boast stellar restaurants at which to refuel.
If getting away from big box stores is on your holiday to-do list, why not explore a small town?
Here are three that should be on your radar for holiday shopping excursions.
Roanoke
Location: Huntington County. Approximately 120 miles northwest of downtown Indianapolis
The boutiques along Main Street here offer repurposed furniture, home decor and artwork.
Fearless Cook carries culinary tools and kitchen items; The Barn has new and used furniture, art and home accessories; Lavender Valley Farms trades in all things lavender — honey, oil, cleaner, coffee and chocolate; and Heartstrings Lather Up sells soaps, lotions and lip balms that are made on-site using pure essential oils, shea butter and primarily organic ingredients.
FlyinNeedle Embroidery and Peekaboo Lane Baby Boutique are housed in the same space, allowing customers to pick up customized hats, wristlets, baby blankets and gift sets in one stop; and Snickle & Fritz Candy Co. specializes in sweets and nostalgia with its poke bowl-themed gummy treats and retro foam blow darts and classic Christmas movie jigsaw puzzles.
A major draw on Main Street is the New Orleans-inspired Joseph Decuis restaurant, a farm-to-table gem open Thursday through Saturday evenings when it dishes up intricately marbled Wagyu beef from its nearby farm.
For a more casual meal, Joseph Decuis Emporium is open for lunch Tuesday through Saturday, serving sandwiches, fine wines, charcuterie, jams and fresh honey alongside leather goods made from the hides of Decuis cows.
Meanwhile, Moose and Mollie’s Cafe & Gelato is the spot for caramel apple pie made with a cast iron skillet.
Want to make a weekend of it? A short walk away from the shops, Joseph Decuis owners operate The Inn bed and breakfast, a restored 1913 home with four bedrooms, each with its own private bath.
Visit discoverroanoke.org for shop listings.
Seymour
Location: Jackson County. Approximately 60 miles southeast of downtown Indianapolis.
John Mellencamp’s small town, Seymour should be a destination based on the strength of Batar giftshop and cafe alone.
Tucked in the Muscatatuck Wildlife Refuge, Batar has a great selection of home decor and culinary gifts for all (cookbooks, teas and dozens of ceramic teapots shaped as typewriters and giraffes, among others). But the gifts for the little ones particularly stand out. There are chef’s coats and aprons in Colts, Disney and whimsical prints for tots, as well as kiddie tea sets.
Chocolates and the most exquisitely decorated cookies — along with gift sets built of cookies — await visitors to the sweet shop area.
The cafe offers charm and a respite from cellphone convos — they are prohibited inside the two dining rooms — all the better to enjoy quiches, chicken salad plates and sandwiches.
Seymour’s downtown is loaded with antique and home decor shops, including one dedicated to copper cookie cutters. The Fussy Pup has shapes of Abraham Lincoln, a .38 Special revolver and construction equipment ready to help put some spark into your baked treats. In the unlikely event the shop doesn’t have the shape you need, custom orders are available.
Heart’s Desire is a place to shop for personalized gifts with embroidery and laser engraving, crochet sweaters, sports team-logoed outfits for kids, custom-made bracelets and home decor.
Check the Jackson County Visitor Center for shop listings.
Winona Lake, The Village at Winona
Location: Kosciusko County. Approximately 115 miles north of downtown Indianapolis
The Village at Winona encompasses 20 acres in downtown Winona Lake, which Travel + Leisure lists among the best U.S. small towns for families and HGTV named one of the most charming small towns in America.
The Greater Michiana lakeside village shines in the summertime with a public beach and cottages lining the canal, but it’s far from shabby with its holiday shopping scene that includes 21 shops and restaurants, each with its own lane from hobbies to surfing gear to apparel and jewelry.
The Beaded Peacock maintains a stock of more than 1 million beads, including stone, Miyuki Delicas and SuperDuos; along with the tools and classes to help you create your perfect piece of jewelry. Of course, there are finished handmade pieces from Indiana artists ready to sell.
Food enthusiasts will appreciate Canal Street Market which stocks products of small businesses in more than 40 states, typically not available on Amazon or at major supermarkets. Think keto diet-friendly cheesecakes; or cherry salsa, cherry bacon spread and cherry mustard from Glen Arbor, Michigan-based Cherry Republic. Among the soups and broth products it carries are mixes from Soup of Success, an Elkhart, Indiana-based program that helps marginalized women improve their quality of life.
If pecan oil, bacon-infused extra virgin olive oil or apricot balsamic vinegar sound good, then The Olive Branch oil and vinegar shop is the place to be.
For lunch or dinner, visit BoatHouse Restaurant for waterfront dining; or Cerulean to create your own bento of sushi or indulge in lamb stew or duck risotto. (Cerulean had been related to the now-closed restaurant of the same name in Indianapolis.)
The village, which has a new open-air ice rink, also promotes a Pajama Party Sale in January. Wear PJs to take advantage of sales throughout the district — the earlier in the day, the bigger the discount.
Visit villageatwinona.com for shop listings.
Contact IndyStar reporter Cheryl V. Jackson at [email protected] or 317-444-6264. Follow her on X.com: @cherylvjackson.