14 Last Minute Gift Ideas for the MN Lover on your List

It’s officially less than one week away from Christmas morning and that means that all you procrastinators out there that haven’t began to tackle your shopping lists have just a few more days to find that perfect gift for your loved ones!  Your Local Gurus want to help you spread holiday cheer so we’ve compiled a list of 14 last minute gift ideas for the Minnesota Lovers on your List!  In no particular order – let’s dive right in…

#14 – Brewery Merchandise

This holiday season give the gift of brewery merchandise to the beer lover on your list! As Minnesota’s brewery scene continues to grow, many of us (and those on our shopping lists!) have found a favorite brewery or cidery to call our “own”.   From t-shirts to hoodies, tin tacker signs to can koozies, coloring books to stocking caps, branded cribbage boards to glassware – your local brewery is sure to have a mix of goodies for the beer lover on your list!

#13 – Minnesota State Parks Pass

This holiday season give the gift of the great outdoors to the nature lover on your list! Minnesota is home to 66 state parks and 9 recreation areas, 9 waysides, 25 state trails (over 1,300 miles), 35 water trails (over 4,500 miles) and 62 state forest campgrounds.  For just $35 you can purchase a year-round permit that provides unlimited visits to all state parks for a full year from the month of purchase.  You can purchase that by clicking here!

If the nature lover on your list already has a year-round permit, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has put together a list of options that include fishing licenses, nature books and guides, and more!  For that full list – click here.

#12 – Art from a Local Artist

This holiday season give the gift of local art!  Many amazing artists and photographers call Minnesota home.  Local shops like The Golden Rule in Excelsior, MN and Frank Modern Furniture and Art in Minneapolis, MN have an array of local art on display for purchase.  Or you can go right to the source and visit the artist’s Etsy sites, like ChuckU who creates amazing prints of creatures, scenes, and people alike (pictured here), WillSpencerStudios who creates beautiful watercolor paintings and custom paintings at request, and CandidlyKHandmade who creates handmade jewelry and gifts with “sass”.

#11 – Minnesota-Made Products

This holiday season give the gift of Minnesota-made products! Minnesota is home to numerous unique brands that offer high quality, locally made products.  Some of our favorites include:

#10 – Cocktail Making Kit with Local Spirits

This holiday season give the gift of a Cocktail Making Kit featuring your favorite local spirit!  Minnesota proudly boasts an increasing amount of local distilleries that create a wide selection of spirits from whiskey to aquavit, vodka to gin, and beyond!  For the cocktail lover on your list put together a “Cocktail Making Kit” and include some (1) ice mold sets like these or another that catches your eye, (2) some local bitters like Bittercube or Dashfire Bitters (or make your own bitters with Easy & Company), (3) throw in some other fun mixers, and top it off with (4) a spirit from your favorite local distillery!  Enjoy!

#9 – Local Minnesota Magazine Subscriptions

This holiday season give the gift of a local magazine subscription – this literally is the gift that lasts all year long!  Minnesota has several lifestyle, business, and cultural magazines – so no matter the recipient you should be able to find the perfect fit.  The Growler Magazine (pictured here) offer’s a year-long subscription for just $37.00 delivered right to your door;  Minnesota Monthly and Midwest Home has a special deal for six issues of each for just $16.95 with promo code “18GIFTGUIDE”; and The Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal offers a 52 week subscription for one year for $140.00 – just to name a few!

#8 – State Pride Merchandise

This holiday season give the gift of state pride merchandise to your fellow Minnesotan on your list!  Minnesotans have a lot of hometown pride and because of that we have a ton of amazing local brands that have created Minnesota-centric clothing lines, kitschy t-shirts, and other merch so you can proudly boast your state pride!  Some of these include Sota Clothing Co., 16 oz. Society Apparel Company, North Made, and many more!  Or you can visit a local favorite merchant, I Like You (pictured here), which sells an array of artist-made items and now has three locations (Minneapolis, St. Paul, and at the MOA!).  

#7 – Local Donation in Your Loved Ones Name

This holiday season give the gift of giving!  We all have that one person on our list that doesn’t want…or really need…anything, but we still want to show them love.  This year make a donation (or serve!) at your favorite local non-profit.  A few great options include: PabsPacks (pictured here) – they “provide comfort and encouragement to chronically ill teenagers by donating custom designed backpacks filled with select items to enhance an adolescent’s hospital stay”; BridgingMN – who “improves lives by providing quality furniture and household goods to those transitioning out of homelessness and poverty”, and Open Arms of Minnesota – which “cooks and delivers free, nutritious meals to people living with life-threatening illnesses in the Twin Cities” – to name just a few!  

#6 – Activity Kits for your Kiddos

This holiday season give the kiddo on your list the gift of fun-filled activity!  Based here in the Twin Cities – Cooper and Kid – started with the goal of giving dads a kit to engage and create alongside their kids.  They believe “in helping men embrace and optimize their mission as fathers. We enhance the critical rite of passage into fatherhood and have some fun while doing so.”  Though these kits are focused on dads they are perfect for any parent looking to engage their kids in new ways!  

#5 – Minnesota-made Sweet Treats

This holiday season give the gift of sweets!  Macaroons, cookies, and candy, oh my! Who doesn’t have a little sweet tooth during the holidays? From local bakeries like Amy’s Cupcake Shoppe (pictured here) or Salty Tart Patisserie to St. Paul-based Pearsons Nut Goodie Rolls or Salted Nut Rolls, you can fill those stockings with great treats.

#4 – Tickets to a Local Sports Game

This holiday season give the gift of game tickets to the sports lover on your list!   Minnesota is home to many major league, minor league, and college teams – so choose your sport-of-choice and gift a set of tickets to a local sports game!

#3 – Passes to a Local Ski/Snowboard Resort

This holiday season give the gift of skiing and snowboarding!  Minnesotans thrive in the winter, so give your winter enthusiast a day-pass to one of the many ski and snowboard resorts around Minnesota!  Some of our favorites include Afton Alps in Hastings, Wild Mountain in Taylors Falls, Lutsen Mountains in Lutsen (pictured here), and Spirit Mountain in Duluth!

#2 – Date/Friend Night Outing

This holiday season give the gift of quality time to your loved one(s)!  There’s no shortage of amazing date-worthy locations around the Twin Cities. Create a fun-filled day or night for your sweetie (or bestie!). A few ideas could include:

Idea #1: grab a coffee from Wilde Roast, walk across the iconic Stone Arch Bridge, hop into the Guthrie for a great view, then grab a local beer and delish pizza at Day Block Brewery.

Idea #2: Get your PacMan game on at UpDown, treat yourself to a cocktail at The Norsman, and end with a gorgeous dinner and a stroll in Rice Park.

Idea #3: Take a “tour” around the shops, restaurants, and bars at the newly opened Keg and Case in St. Paul (pictured here).  

Idea #4:  Take in a full night at the Bell Museum Planetarium.

#1 – GetKnit Experiences

This holiday season give the gift of experiences! Whether you have a wine lover, craft beer nerd, aspiring artist, or an adventure seeker on your list – GetKnit Events offers something for everyone.  Check out our current collection of events and help to create lasting memories as you encourage your loved ones to “GetKnit” with all our great state has to offer!