The Greater Wilmington area is a terrific place for attendees who need a little retail therapy after the meeting.
From Wilmington’s museum gift shops to specialty stores in Chester and Delaware counties, there are ample intriguing opportunities to buy souvenirs and gifts before heading home.
For special purchases, Lyn Lewis, spokeswoman for the Greater Wilmington CVB, urges groups to check out area museum shops, including those located at the Delaware Art Museum and Delaware Museum of Natural History.
“These are wonderful shops filled with unusual items that make memorable gifts and wonderful keepsakes,” she says. “And remember, Delaware is the home of tax-free shopping.”
The Shops of Hockessin Corner are located just 15 minutes west of downtown Wilmington in the residential community of Hockessin.
Standout stores here, Lewis says, include Creations Fine American Craft, which sells jewelry, ceramic knickknacks, frames, clocks and other goodies, and Everything But the Kitchen Sink, which carries an impressive selection of kitchenware, bed and bath items, furniture, stationery and more.
Moving along to Chester County, Brandywine Valley’s Kennett Square, is known as the “Mushroom Capital of the World,” according to Nina Kelly, spokeswoman for the Chester County Conference and Visitors Bureau.
“Over 65% of the nation’s mushroom crop is from this region,” she says, “so a visit to The Mushroom Cap on Kennett’s State Street is a must.”
Here, attendees will find, among other items, mushroom-based foods, mushroom cookbooks, mushroom-decorated Christmas ornaments and mushroom-shaped kitchen tools, including cookie cutters and cutting boards.
Also in Chester County is the West Chester, Penn.-based Artisan Exchange, which offers a nice variety of products made on-site.
“Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. the market is open to the public and features fantastic local foods and products,” Kelly says. “Additionally, there is a state-of-the-art commercial kitchen available to rent for a variety of activities, including corporate team-building events.”
In June 2006, the Delaware County seat town of Media, Penn., became the first official Fair Trade Town in the country, according to Barbara Lehman, spokeswoman for Delaware County’s Brandywine Conference and Visitors Bureau.
So it’s no surprise, she says, that groups will find stores such as Ten Thousand Villages, which features fair trade artisan-crafted home decor, personal accessories and gifts from around the world, and Earth & State, a purveyor of unique handmade gifts made of clay, metal, wood, paper, stone and other materials.
Elsewhere in Delaware County is Chadds Ford-based GiggyBites Bakery & Marketplace, a store that sells tasty treats for furry members of the family.
Here, dog owners will find handmade gourmet dog treats containing only all-natural ingredients, plus a line of special treats for dogs on restricted diets or with specific health concerns.