10 Best Spots for Holiday Shopping in Portland, Maine

Portland, Maine, is a surefire bet when you want to find unique gifts and get into the holiday spirit. You’ll stroll down cobblestone streets, gazing into twinkling shop windows and reveling in the old-world charm of Maine’s largest city.

In addition to being home to one of New England’s best toy stores, Portland has no shortage of small businesses that make gift buying merry and meaningful. As you make your gifting list this year, consider Christmas Shopping in Portland’s Old Port and beyond. After all, there are few better places to shop than this city of artists and makers. Here are 10 stores that should be on your holiday-shopping itinerary this year.

1. Soleil

Tucked right beside Renys on Congress Street and not quite a year old, Soleil offers home goods ranging from kitchen tools and novelty jigsaw puzzles to locally designed stationery. Food-shaped accessories are a fun and trendy highlight—you can find a farfalle noodle candle, strawberry cocktail napkins, and a lamp resembling a loaf of bread. Don’t leave without stopping at artist Ana Inciaridi’s mini print vending machine; insert four quarters to receive a surprise linocut food print that’ll fit neatly into a stocking.

2. Viand Mercantile

Open just since October 2023, Viand Mercantile combines the new and old with vintage finds and more contemporary pieces. Drop by the Fore Street store to see sculptural incense holders for sale atop an antique wooden cafe table that’s likely also for sale. And if it’s pre-holiday goodies you’re after, pick up an ornament kit or two for a Christmas party activity.

3. Sherman’s Book Shop

In the grand scheme of gifting, you can never go wrong with a book. It’s imperative to select your titles at Maine’s oldest bookstore, Sherman’s. Choose from the shop’s list of most popular books, head for the local authors section, or delight in wrapping up a bargain book. The store’s journals, notecards, and other goodies make excellent stocking stuffers and host gifts, to boot.

4. Portland Flea-for-All

If you’re in search of a one-of-a-kind present, you will find it at Portland Flea-for-All. Head there on a Friday or Saturday to peruse a variety of vendors selling vintage furniture, clothing, housewares, and vinyl records. There are also handmade goods, antique paintings and prints, and more—you just need to take your time plucking treasures from the vast selection.

5. Loquat

Owned by two textile artists who are graduates of Maine College of Art & Design, Loquat is a fashion brand and store that aims to help marginalized groups of people. The owners curate and create sustainable items that are meant to last, like waxed canvas totes and unique button-up shirts, like this one in an oyster print.

6. Material Objects

At Material Objects, one of Portland’s best consignment shops, you’re bound to find a gem for the trendsetter on your list. If you don’t feel confident enough to pick out a retro sweater or jacket for your quirky pal, the shop’s jewelry case is filled with smaller-scale handmade pieces, while brand-new accessories and clothing items are displayed toward the front of the store.

7. Fitz & Bennett

For the design-minded friend in your life, head to Fitz & Bennett for striking home decor and gifts. Their fun throw pillows are worth considering: The “Not my Circus” needlepoint option and the little mushroom one deserve spots under someone’s tree. You’ll also find unique holiday cards for sale, from this nod to A-frame cabins to this New England-y lobster lights card.

8. Smalls

After books, food is the second-best kind of gift to give (and receive). At Smalls Cafe + Market in the West End, you can choose from artisanal crackers and granola, flavorful jams and honeys, natural wines, nuts, candies, and more. Stop in for lunch—and a cup of cocoa—to fuel a day of shopping, then leave with some host gifts and a box of cocoa for later.

9. Taproot Market

Taproot Magazine is an independent publication for makers, artists, and other sorts of DIYers. For the rest of us, there’s Taproot Market, which sells handmade goods for the garden, kitchen, and home. Prints, books, and back issues of the magazine are also on shelves. And while you’re in the East Bayside neighborhood, you can pick up goodies from Tandem Coffee Roasters, Après Craft Seltzer, Belleflower Brewing, Blue Lobster Urban Winery, and other craft beverage makers.

10. Portland Trading Co.

In search of a quality gift? Look no farther than Portland Trading Co., which stocks apparel, outerwear, home goods, scents, soaps, and more. For a classically Maine present, check out the shop’s private-label program, which utilizes local materials and employs local talent. One such product is the PTC carry-all tote bag, made from canvas and leather by an artist with Maine roots.