Boone Area Shopper's Sojourn

BOONE AREA BUYER'S GUIDE: ARTSY, ARTISANAL, AUTHENTIC

Whether you're buying a gift, for yourself, a friend, or a family member, purchasing home furnishings - even local foods and wine - the High Country of North Carolina is the destination for shoppers in search of distinctive products.

There's no need to wade through the crowds for mundane gifts - nowhere is the "buy local" trend more evident than in the Boone Area. Handcrafted items, one-of-a-kind works of art, and quirkily curated collections of unique products are a staple of local galleries and specialty shops. The range of distinctive finds is astounding. Surprise someone with a fresh Christmas tree, a succulent country ham, or an award-winning local wine to toast an event - and the gifter.

Best of all, a shopping spree in the High Country is so much more than a slog through endless parking lots and bumper-to-bumper traffic. The mountains are everywhere around you, so any High Country shopping sojourn amounts to a tour of one of the East's most scenic spots. That goes double during November and December when the Holidays are on the way and a Boone area visit can include taking home a prized Fraser fir Christmas tree!

GET ORIENTED WITH OUR OVERVIEW OF BOONE AREA SHOPPING LOCATIONS!

Ready to browse the listings now? Head to our Shopping page, where you can sort by region, e.g. "Downtown Boone."

BOONE

Start downtown. A wealth of shops cluster along West King Street, the main thoroughfare, and adjoining Depot and Howard Streets. Classic outdoor outfitters can set you up to ski or hike or just weather the weather. Or, get outfitted in specialty stores for cycling, fly fishing, or horseback riding. 

Small shops are many. Find App State merchandise, women's apparel, consignment retro-wear, art supplies, toys, and artisanal craft items and demonstrations. The emporium of shops within the Shoppes at Farmers Hardware displays every type of item you can imagine.

Further out, The Shops at Shadowline shopping center, New Market Center, the Boone Mall, and Boone Heights Shopping Center complement downtown offerings with great brands as well as locally-owned outfitters, pet supplies, and home decor shops to name a few.

FOSCOE

Just south of Boone toward Banner Elk on NC 105, Grandfather Mountain towers above the valley town of Foscoe. Heading into "downtown" Foscoe you can't miss the stores for antiques, musical instruments, fly fishing apparel and supplies, pottery, luxury down bedding, home decor, kitchenware, art, and furnishings.

VALLE CRUCIS

From NC 105 just south of Boone, wander the winding Broadstone Road to North Carolina's first Rural Historic District, Valle Crucis, where you'll find the original Mast General Store, ca. 1882, as well as small shops and art galleries.

BLOWING ROCK

On the drive from Blowing Rock to Boone, check out the variety of stores along U.S. 321 that offer toys, antiques, crafts, floral designs, and, in winter, Christmas trees, and ski and snowboard equipment. In downtown Blowing Rock, find Christmas shops, candlemakers, and shops with home decor, souvenir wear, or hats of all kinds. Shop for yarn, fabric, plus handcrafted stationery, jewelry, floral designs, and pottery.

Don't miss the Shoppes on the Parkway outlet mall with more than 30 stores featuring the best national brands in many categories at discount prices, as well as local merchants.

In the Boone Area, by the time you've dropped, you'll have really shopped.