One of my favorite sights of this time of year is driving down our area’s winding country roads and seeing every tree in a different color. The past few years haven’t been as memorable as this one with seemingly every shade of orange, yellow, or red on display. And once the leaves start changing, that can only mean one thing: Christmas will soon be here. We haven’t even put away our jack o’ lanterns and spider webs, but it’s never too early to start picking out gifts for the holiday season. With the downtown Iuka open house event occurring the first weekend in November, it’s the perfect occasion to start your early shopping.
Iuka really is a gem of a town with a downtown area revitalizing itself with renovation. Many of the downtown businesses will have some incredible shopping and tasty food options, all within walking distance. This year, the holiday market is starting Friday, November 4th and it’s a great opportunity to get out and enjoy the town and explore all its options. If you haven’t had the chance to enter some of the recently remodeled stores or take a peek into the ones transforming, now is the perfect time to do so while all the shops will be looking their best with holiday decor.
You can find a gift for everyone on your list here. I’m going to go ahead and give every man the biggest hint ever for Christmas: you cannot go wrong if you purchase anything from Moore’s Jewelry. Having been in existence since 1959, this family not only has beautiful jewelry, they also have to be the most well trained people in town on how to keep engagements a secret for decades now. From fine jewelry to the simple staples every girl needs to have, its all here. With a coupon running storewide November 4th – 6th, now is the time to shop.
After cleaning out your savings at Moore’s Jewelry, jump down to the Friendly Florist to find all your Christmas decor. What kind of fine Southern family would you be without the proper holiday door hanger? Another longstanding business, you’ll never be disappointed with the service and selection at Friendly Florist. They will also be offering discounts and refreshments on Saturday so it’s worth a visit to check out the latest in decor and home trends.
If I got paid for restaurant referrals, I’d be rich on how many people I’ve told about Cream & Sugar Cafe. This restaurant is exactly what downtown Iuka needed. There’s something about the breakfast all day menu that just hits right, especially for kids. Speaking from experience, don’t assume you can roll off the lake in a t-shirt looking not so great in the middle of the week and think you won’t see anybody you know. It’s so popular with visitors and locals that I’ve yet to see it not busy.
The Curated Cottage offers such a vast selection of antiques and art that I can easily convince my husband to shop there as well. There’s always a treasure to find in one of the booths, including the framed map of Mississippi that my husband had to have. It’s also the perfect place to pick up a little gift to make someone’s day. While you’re there, jump down to River Rags to get one of their classic t-shirts or pieces of apparel. River Rags will even gift wrap your purchase while shopping. Getting a gift and not having to wrap it? I’m in!
The Iuka Downtown Holiday Open House begins Friday Nov 4th with various events, treat, and discounts offered and is a fantastic way to kick off the Holiday season. Yes, it’s still the heart of football season and yes, we still have to rake up our yards, but December will be here before you know it and wouldn’t it be nice to get most of your shopping list done early!
