Kamloops Gift Guide: Shop Local + Give an Experience This Holiday Season
Kamloops Christmas Market
Pepper
It's the most wonderful time of the year in Kamloops. The lights are up, the markets are buzzing and the hills are dusted in snow. If your list is long and your patience is short, don't worry. We've rounded up the best ways to shop local this holiday season, from one-of-a-kind finds at our favourite boutiques to experiences that turn into memories long after the wrapping paper is gone.
Whether you're shopping for the homebody, the adventurer, the coffee snob or the person who says they don't want anything (don't fall for it, they do), this Kamloops gift guide has something for everyone on your list. Every purchase supports local makers, small businesses and the people who make our community shine.
Holiday markets to shop this season
Kamloops Christmas Market
Kate Morrison
Monte Creek Holiday Artisan Market
Magalie Knopf
Grab a hot drink and make a day of it. These markets are packed with local artisans, bakers and makers, so you can cross a few names off your list and soak up some holiday cheer.
Christmas at the Courthouse: November 14 + 15, 10 am to 4 pm, Kamloops Courthouse Gallery. Two floors of handmade gifts and one-of-a-kind finds.
Kamloops Christmas Market: November 27 to December 6, Riverside Park. A European-style Christmas village with cozy chalets, local vendors, live music and festive drinks. Every ticket supports the Kamloops Sports Council and KidSport Kamloops. While you're there, grab some exclusive Tourism Kamloops holiday merch, only available at the market.
Monte Creek Holiday Artisan Market: December 12 (11 am to 5 pm) and December 13 (11 am to 3 pm). Browse more than 30 local artisans and sip something festive while you shop.
Winter Kamloops Farmers' Market: Saturdays from 10 am to 2 pm at Mount Paul Community Food Centre (140 Laburnum Street). Pick up preserves, baking and handmade gifts.
Find even more festive fun on our holiday events page.
Give the gift of an experience
Not everything worth giving fits under the tree. These Kamloops experiences make the kind of gift that gets talked about all year.
For the skier or snowboarder: Harper Mountain + Sun Peaks Resort
Sun Peaks Resort
@andrew.crema
Family-owned Harper Mountain sits just 20 minutes from downtown, with short lift lines, small lessons and a laid-back lodge. Pick up a season pass or lift tickets for a spontaneous powder day. For a bigger mountain adventure, Sun Peaks Resort is 45 minutes north, with more than 4,000 acres of skiable terrain across three mountains. Day tickets, multi-day cards and Sun Peaks gift cards (good for lift tickets, rentals and dining) all make easy gifts.
For the wine lover: Monte Creek + Privato wine clubs
Monte Creek Winery
@heybethtaylor
Privato Winery
@heybethtaylor
Give a year of sips with a wine club membership. Monte Creek Winery members get hand-picked shipments, complimentary tastings and shop discounts, all with views over the Thompson River. At Privato Vineyard & Winery, members receive small-lot wines from a family farm, plus tastings, discounts and invites to special events.
For the animal lover: BC Wildlife Park
BC Wildlife Park
Mary Putnam
Home Hardware Family Farm, BC Wildlife Park
Mary Putnam
An annual pass to the BC Wildlife Park means a year of visits with rescued and rehabilitated animals, from bears and cougars to birds of prey. Not sure they'll use a pass? A gift card works for day passes or a souvenir from the gift shop.
For the high-flyer: Vayu Aviation
Discovery Flight
Vayu Aviation
Give someone a bird's-eye view of the Thompson Valley. A Vayu Aviation gift card covers a Discovery Flight, where they take the controls with an instructor beside them, or a scenic aerial tour over Kamloops, Kamloops Lake, Sun Peaks and more.
For the culture seeker: theatre, music, film + art
Western Canada Theatre, Sagebrush Theatre
Chelsea Isenor
Western Canada Theatre: A Season Flex Pass gives five tickets to use on any regular-season show, from family favourites to world premieres.
Kamloops Symphony Orchestra: Celebrating its 50th anniversary season, the KSO offers season subscriptions and concert packages for every kind of music fan.
Kamloops Film Society: A membership comes with free screenings and concession perks, or book a private screening at the historic Paramount Theatre for the ultimate movie night.
Kamloops Art Gallery: Members get free admission, guest passes, invites to exhibition openings and discounts on classes and at the gallery store.
For the outdoor adventurer
Stake Lake Ski Trail
Tamra Jaeger
Overlander Ski Club: A season membership unlocks more than 60 km of groomed cross-country ski trails at Stake Lake, including lit trails for night skiing and a dog-friendly loop.
Cliffside Climbing Gym: A punch card to Kamloops' indoor climbing gym, with dozens of routes and bouldering problems for every level.
Elevated Fishing Adventures: A guided ice fishing tour with all the gear provided, so no experience is needed.
Mountain Man Adventure Tours: Dog sledding and snowmobile tours at Sun Peaks for the adrenaline seeker on your list.
For the golfer
Tobiano Golf Course
Mary Putnam
The courses are closed for the season, but you can still give the gift of golf. A Golf Kamloops gift card is ready to use once the fairways open in spring. In the meantime, simulators at Kamloops Virtual Golf, Mulligan's on 4th, The Bunker and Indoor Golf by Breaking Par keep their swing sharp all winter.
For the sports fan + the whole family
Sandman Centre
Candice Ward/CHL
Tickets to the WHL's Kamloops Blazers at Sandman Centre, including season passes and flex packs, make an easy win for any hockey fan. For the kids (and kids at heart), a gift card to The Fun Factor covers bumper cars, laser tag, mini bowling and arcade battles.
Make it a gift for two
TABLE twelvefifty
TABLE twelvefifty
Some of the best gifts are the ones you get to share. Book a heated igloo dinner at TABLE twelvefifty (November 1 to January 8), sign up for the Date Night Festive Mocktail-Making workshop at the Kamloops Christmas Market on December 2, or pair theatre tickets with dinner downtown. For more inspiration, check out our 50+ unique date ideas in Kamloops.
Shop local for everyone on your list
Prefer something to unwrap? Kamloops is full of small shops with big personality.
For the homebody
Castles + Cottages
Mary Putnam
Jardines Domaine
Mary Putnam
Cozy throws, candles, centrepieces and statement decor. Browse Castles + Cottages for gifts for every room, Jardines Domaine for textiles, candles and kitchen accessories, Desert Rain Giftware for unique gifts and Fern and Frond for a fresh floral centrepiece. Out in Barnhartvale, the gift shop at The Pond Country Market is stocked with local jams, honey, seasonal decor and festive treats.
For the drink enthusiast
Woodward Cider Co.
@heybethtaylor
Monte Creek Winery
@heybethtaylor
Craft beer + cider: Pick up flats, growlers, merch or gift cards at Red Collar Brewing Co., Bright Eye Brewing, Iron Road Brewing, The Noble Pig Brewhouse and Embers Brewhouse. Cider fans will love a bottle or cider club membership from Woodward Cider Co.
Local wine: Stock up at Sagewood Winery, Monte Creek Winery and Privato Vineyard & Winery.
Mead: Kamloops' first meadery, Lion's Head Meadery, sits beneath the Lion's Head cliffs in the South Thompson Valley. Pick up a bottle of dry, wine-style mead made with honey from the family's own bees, or a jar of raw local honey.
Spirits: Small-batch gin from Gin Lane Distilling Co. makes a festive pour.
Booze-free: Mocktail Mixery has bar tools, flavourings and everything for a zero-proof holiday.
For the coffee lover
Kamloops Farmers' Market
Kamloops Farmers' Market | Johann Vincent
5Bean Brewbar & Cafe
Dylan Sherrard
Gift a bag of local beans or a café gift card. Logjam Coffee roasts in-house, Kekuli Cafe pairs fresh bannock with a Maple Coquihalla Fog Tea Latte, and Amplified Cafe offers beans and coffee classes. Gift cards from Caffe Motivo, 5Bean Brewbar & Cafe, He Brews Ahava Coffee, Frankly Coffee, Red Beard Cafe, Brynn's Bakery and Hey Neighbour Coffee Roasters are always a hit.
For the art + craft lover
Kamloops Art Gallery Store
Mary Putnam
Downtown, Kamloops Artisans' Bazaar & Soup Desire Cafe is packed with handcrafted goods, natural body products, textiles and art from local artists and makers, plus specialty coffee and scratch-made food to refuel while you shop. You can also find handmade decor, prints and books at the Kamloops Art Gallery's gallery store, or pick up ornaments and jewellery from local makers at the holiday markets above.
For the person who has everything
Far + Wide
Christine Nicole Photography
Head to 4Generations Creations, an Indigenous-owned shop with handcrafted ribbon skirts and shirts, beaded jewellery and work from other Indigenous artists and businesses. Far + Wide has bath and beauty products, vintage finds and plants, Haus of Misfit on the North Shore is packed with pins, patches and clothing, and Crooked Crown on Victoria Street stocks beauty, wellness, sweets and home decor.
For the outdoorsy one
Overlander Ski Club
Andrew Penner
Gear them up at Surplus Herby's, True Outdoors, Consignor Sports and Runner's Sole, then pair it with one of the experiences above.
For the Kamloops fan
Show some love for the 'Loops with gear from the Tourism Kamloops Shop. Pick up a merino toque, Freeride socks or a tee, a water bottle for their next adventure or a cuddly ram for the little ones, plus stickers and playing cards that make perfect stocking stuffers. Shopping for a rider? The Freeride Biker Bundle gives $5 from every purchase to the Freeride Fund, helping maintain Kamloops' legendary bike trails. Keep an eye out for our new holiday merch, too. It's coming soon and will be available exclusively at the Kamloops Christmas Market, November 27 to December 6.
Kamloops gift guide FAQs
Shop local, give local
However you fill their stocking, shopping local keeps Kamloops' small businesses thriving and puts a little more magic into the season. Plan the rest of your holiday fun with our top 10 things to do this winter in Kamloops and things to do this December.
Never miss a holiday moment. Sign up for our monthly newsletter for seasonal events and gift ideas, and keep us in the 'Loop by tagging @tourismkamloops and using #ExploreKamloops.
