Taral Dave ‘26

With the holidays right around the corner, it is important to consider doing your holiday shopping locally. Downtown Bethel contains a vast selection of shopping destinations, meaning there will be something for everyone on your list. 

The Toy Room, located on 180 Greenwood Ave., is the ideal place to buy gifts for people of all ages.  

“Games are always fun during the holidays and make great gifts. We’ve got plenty of game options for teens and adults,” Kimberly Ramsey said, owner of the Toy Room. Her personal favorites are “What’s the Point,” “Ransom Notes,” and “Game of Phones”. 

The Toy Room also has various hands-on gifts for kids. In the store you can find Create-A-Castle kits, which are used for making snow or sand sculptures. This gift is not only unique, but can also be utilized year round. The store also recently received new STEAM kits. The kits contain VR goggles in MasterChef cooking, magic, dinosaur, crystal and volcano themes. These interactive STEAM kits are an entertaining gift that any kid is sure to love. 

“Shasibo, Speks, and Crazy Aaron Putty continue to remain top sellers. Shashibo and Crazy Aaron’s have both released new styles for the holidays” Ramsey said. These holiday themed gifts are great options for older kids. 

Byrd’s Books is another fantastic independent and local destination for holiday shopping. Located on 178 Greenwood Ave., Byrd’s Books carries a vast selection of novels to choose from.

 “They always know exactly what you should get,” said Sofia Allen ’26.

 Buying the right book can be difficult, but the Byrds Books staff can help you with finding the perfect gift. 

If you navigate to the holiday catalog on the Byrd’s Books website, you can also find a lengthy and detailed list of holiday themed books. The titles in the catalog are organized into six categories- children’s, fiction, cooking, nonfiction, young adult, and bookseller favorites. This catalog simplifies the gift selection process and can help narrow the wide range of books this store has to offer. 

Support local businesses and buy your friends and family a great holiday gift from downtown Bethel!