Welcome to our first ever Locals Only Holiday Gift Guide! Below, you’ll find quite a few ideas for gifts for everyone on your list this year.
1. Board Games, Comics & Toys– Both Famous Faces & Funnies and Get Your Fun On are located in West Melbourne and you’ll find thousands upon thousands of gift ideas for the comic book fans on your list on one side of the shop. On the other, you’ll find hundreds of board games, many of which you can demo in their huge back room.
2. Surfs Up– You’ll find Longboard House in Indialantic and inside you’ll find everything considered “beach essential”, along with huge showrooms for men’s and women’s surf fashions. They also have the largest selection of new and used surfboards in Brevard. And yes there are several other locally owned surf shops in Brevard.
3. Out of this World Shirts– If you love space and you don’t want to visit the KSC Visitor Center, Space Shirts on N. Courtenay Pkwy. in N. Merritt Island deserves a stop. There’s many other locally owned clothing boutiques throughout the county that would love to see you walk through their door.
4. Locally Made Knives and Biker Jewelry– Sanity Jewelry in Grant has been making custom jewelry and knives for years and their products are sought after all across the country.
5. Kitchen Gadgets– With locations at the Melbourne Square Mall and at Hammock Landing in West Melbourne, Wooden Spoon gives you multiple locally owned locations to pick up those hard to find kitchen gadgets and they can sharpen your knives as well.
6. Fully Functional Art– Cedar Hollow Woodworking in Merritt Island repurposes different types of wood into beautiful pieces of functional art. If you’re looking for some truly unique gifts, check out their Facebook page and website.
7. Locally Made Candy and Confections– From locally Southern Caramel to chocolate covered potato chips, of which everyone has their favorite when it comes to the “Big 2” (those being Grimaldi Candy Company and VinnieLu’s Beachside Chocolates), but there’s also Graffiti Zoo Gourmet Chocolate in Melbourne.
8. Wet a Line– Strike Zone in West Melbourne is the place for all the things the anglers in your family might need all year long. Freshwater or saltwater, inshore or offshore. They have it all. You’ll also find a large selection of clothing for men, women and children and the largest selection of high quality sunglasses in the county.
9. It’s Grillin’ Time– Sure Wassi’s Meats is the most well known butcher shop in Brevard but they have so much more to offer. Different types of grills and smokers (they are the largest retailer of Big Green Eggs in the southeast), a literal wall of rubs and sauces, a nice selection of wine AND you can purchase tickets for many of the classes they host each month. Wassi’s is much more than a high quality butcher shop so stop in for a visit.
10. Maybe Something that Sparkles– There are many locally owned jewelry shops throughout Brevard County, any of which you should visit before heading to the big chains, but we’re picking S&S Jewelers Inc. on Babcock St. in Melbourne because they’ve been open since 1955 and that says a lot right there. They also offer jewelry cleaning and repair.
11. All Florida All the Time– In the shadow of Ron Jon Surf Shop in Cocoa Beach, you’ll spot The Florida Key Lime Pie Company and here you’ll find possibly the coolest floor in the county, dozens upon dozens of Made in Florida items AND you might even be able to get your picture taken with Sweetie the Alligator when you’re there.
12. That’s a lot of Cars!– One of the largest collections of classic and rare vehicles resides right here in Brevard County at the American Muscle Car Museum on Sarno Road in Melbourne. The museum isn’t open on a daily basis for visitors, BUT they do host many charitable events throughout the year where you can few the entire collection of well over 400 vehicles AND enjoy food and drinks. Not only that, 100% of the price of each ticket goes directly to the organization the event is held for. You can purchase tickets for the events on their website and what a gift to give the gearhead in your life!
13. Get a little Crafty– Mimi’s Crafts, located on A1A in South Patrick Shores, is one of many locally owned shops where you can get creative to give a gift that truly means something. They have hundreds of different ceramic items that you can paint, have fired and then give out as gifts. They also have those awesome ceramic Christmas trees that we all love.
14. Annual Passes for Local Attractions– If going to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, the Brevard Zoo or even over to Wild Florida is fun once, imagine what it’s like going whenever you want!
15. Baking/ Cooking Classes– There are a few different places that offer a variety of baking and cooking classes but few with the variety you’ll find at the Florida Academy of Baking on A1A in Satellite Beach. Visit their Facebook page for specials and their website for the full schedule of classes each month.
16. Get out on the Water– A trip on Florida River Tours 90′ boat Charlotte for a sunset or wildlife viewing cruise at Cape Crossing Marina in Merritt Island is a gift you can give that you can also enjoy by booking your own cruise. You can schedule your trip right on their website. There’s also several boat clubs locally where you pay each month to have access to their boats. All you have to do is reserve your time, pack your stuff and head to the dock to board your already fueled boat for the day! 321 Boat Rentals & Club on US1 in Melbourne might be one you want to look at.
17. Go to the Movies– There are movie theaters located throughout Brevard County and a few movie tickets tucked into a card or stocking (Santa knows about this too!) is always a great option. And if you’re wanting to keep it local, consider CWTheaters in West Melbourne or Premiere Theaters Oaks 10 in Melbourne!
18. Kayak/SUP Tours– There are a variety of locally owned companies that offer these from one end of the county to the other and Paddling Paradise on US1 in Palm Bay allows you to explore Turkey Creek on their rental kayaks or paddleboards or on your own. They also host events each week where you can go out with them for free.
19. Locally Made Adult Beverages– Brevard County is lucky to be the home of almost a dozen local breweries. Titusville is the home of Playalinda Brewing Company Brix Company as well as Playalinda Brewing Company Hardware Store. There’s Carib Brewery in Cape Canaveral, Bugnutty Brewing Company and Dirty Oar Beer Company in Cocoa Village, Beachfly Brewing Company in Rockledge, Charlie & Jake’s BBQ & Brewery in Suntree and Melbourne is the home of Hell n Blazes Brewing Company as well as Intracoastal Brewing Company. There’s also Oceanside Distillery in Cape Canaveral.
20. Make it a Spa Day– You’ll find dozens of locally owned salons and spas offering a variety of services and we’re spotlighting Imperial Salon & Spa with locations in beachside Melbourne and in Suntree. Both locations offer many different services and you can get a gift card for those on your holiday gift list. Beachside Time Out Massage in Satellite Beach as well as Bodyscapes Med Spa (with locations in Downtown Melbourne and Suntree) also have plenty of options.
21. Keep Your Car Cool– You can find quite a few locally owned automotive window tinting shops all over the county and Tint World on W. Eau Gallie Blvd. in Melbourne offers not just tinting services, they can amp up your audio system and they can get your ride glowing with customized lights.
22. Tickets to Local Shows– Whether it’s a concert by the Brevard Symphony Orchestra or the Space Coast Symphony Orchestra, a play at one of the local community theatres located throughout Brevard such as the Titusville Playhouse or The Henegar in Downtown Melbourne or one of the weekly comedy shows that take place at venues like Gregory’s Comedy Club in Cocoa Beach, there are many options out there to keep those on your gift list happy. And let’s not forget The King Center for the Performing Arts in Melbourne where you can find many different performances each month. That’s not all though, there are organizations such as the Melbourne Municipal Band and the Melbourne Community Orchestra who offer FREE concerts throughout the year.
23. Get SCUBA Certified– Brevard County has several full service SCUBA shops and American Divers International on N. Courtenay Pkwy. in Merritt Island has been a PADI Five Star dive center since 1980! They also offer would be divers the opportunity to try it out for FREE in their pool!
24. Donations to Local Charities– Donating to local charities is not something most of us think about, but making a donation to one of the many organizations we have in Brevard County in the name of someone on your list is always appreciated.
25. Keep Your Car Looking its Best– If you’re wanting your vehicle to look the best it can it’s time to check out Stick to the Details Auto Detailing in West Melbourne. They take full service auto detailing to the next level. And beyond.
26. Guns Aren’t Just for Guys– Femme Fatale Arms & Training on Malabar Road in Palm Bay offers sales, service and training for both guys and gals but they are THE place ladies can feel completely comfortable when dealing with firearms. There are also quite a few other locally owned firearms shops that offer training and that training is VERY important for anyone who is wanting to purchase a gun. And if you’re wanting a new firearm that’s made in Brevard County, check out Melbourne’s Live Free Armory.
27. Gearheads Unite– SoloTech AutoWorks in West Melbourne opened this year and brought a whole new concept of auto repair to Brevard County. There are many out there who like to work on their own vehicles but they don’t always have everything they need to complete the project. That’s where these guys step in. You can reserve one of three bays that come equipped with a vehicle lift AND a full set of tools!
28. No More Big Box Store Furniture– There are many locally owned furniture shops throughout Brevard County to help keep you away from the big box stores. You’ll find both new furniture AND the ability for the staff to help with interior decorating at Luxe Furniture and Interior Design on New Haven Ave. in West Melbourne. There’s also Atlantic Fine Furniture & Mattress on Eau Gallie Blvd. in Melbourne and if you’re needing to upgrade your patio furniture, check out Patio Culture on New Haven Ave. in West Melbourne.
29. Give the Gift of Coffee– There are quite a few local coffee shops and some of them like Indian River Coffee Company in Melbourne, Apocalypse Coffee Roasters in Melbourne and Pier 13 Coffee Company in Titusville offer their own roasted beans.
30. Gift Cards– And of course if you run out ideas, a gift card is still a great idea AND most locally owned businesses offer them.
We hope this list has given you come ideas for those on your holiday gift lists BUT let’s remember these and all local business throughout the year. They depend on these couple months each year and they don’t want you forgetting about them the other ten months of the year. #ShopLocal #BuySmall
