Shop for the Season in Mississippi
Experience the ultimate in holiday shopping in Mississippi
The holiday season is always a magical time of year, and it’s especially true in Mississippi. Throughout the season, destinations across the Magnolia State are outfitted in festive holiday décor, creating a truly picturesque backdrop for any activity or adventure. But what makes Mississippi even more exciting during the holiday season is its many opportunities for taking care of the shopping list. Here are three of our favorite Mississippi destinations to experience the holiday season while also picking up a few special gifts for those you love.
Oxford’s The Square
Oxford’s historic downtown is the epitome of the holiday season: the Square and Courthouse are adorned with string lights, wreaths grace the lamp posts, and all of the trees are covered in twinkling lights.
While enjoying a stroll through The Square, it’s also easy to cross a few names off the holiday shopping list with its many retail offerings. Square Books, Off Square Books, and Square Books, Jr. offer a wide range of books on practically any topic for anyone of any age. For the fashionistas, a must stop is Cicada Boutique, which has named as one of the best boutiques in all of Oxford, or Neilson’s Department Store, the title as the South’s oldest department store. For a more unique theme on gift gifting, head on over to Oxford Floral, a shop known for its home décor and floral designs, or The End of All Music, an independent record store that specializes in new and used vinyl, CDs, and audio equipment such as turntables, speakers, headphones, and record care accessories.
Downtown Laurel
Laurel is a city that knows how to pack a lot into a holiday season. The city kicks off the Christmas shopping season each year in November in its historic downtown with the annual Christmas Open House, which is followed up by the Merry Marketplace and a Christmas Tree Lighting. When the month of December arrives, the entire town gathers for Pancake Day and then enjoys the largest Christmas parade in Mississippi.
In between all of the fabulous festivities, there are also some unique boutiques to pick up a few special gifts. Stars of HGTV’s Home Town, Ben and Erin Napier run Laurel Mercantile Co. Since it opened in 2016, the shop sells a wide range of home goods—many just like they show off on their ever-popular show—as well as accessories such as T-shirts, leather goods, and art. The Napiers expanded the shopping opportunities in Laurel with the opening of The Scent Library, which features a range of scents designed by Erin, and Scotsman General Store & Woodshop, an updated take on a general store that sells butcher blocks, serving boards, cutting boards, and even countertops and islands, along with hundreds of glass bottled sodas, candy, snacks hundreds of glass bottled sodas, candy, and snacks.
Downtown Cleveland
Downtown Cleveland is well known across the state for its dedication to all things Christmas—its home to the ever-popular 50 Nights of Lights—and that includes holiday shopping. In fact, downtown Cleveland was voted as one of the top five places to shop in Mississippi last year. The title was rightly earned thanks to its wide variety of boutiques, gift shops, galleries, antique stores, and bookstores. H Squared is the go-to for women’s clothing and accessories thanks to the 100-plus brands carried in the store. For practically anything else, there’s Moonstruck Flea Market, where you never know what you’re going to find, but you’re always guaranteed to find something that you won’t want to leave without.
Ready to plan your Mississippi getaway this holiday season? Learn more at www.visitmississippi.org.