The holiday season is quickly approaching and with the twinkling lights, cheerful music and brightly colored window displays come the usual pressures of purchasing the perfect gifts for all those on your gift list. This year, try ditching the long lines and slow shipping speeds by supporting some great local retailers from in and around Chattanooga. We’ve got a curated list of seven gifts that are sure to be coveted in your next Yankee swap.  

NoogaLights

NoogaLights began as a residential and commercial lighting company in 2018. The company has now grown to offer the region’s largest holiday drive-thru light show.  

Visit Dallas Island in Chester Frost Park from November 14 to December 31 for a light-packed night of winter wonder you and your loved ones won’t soon forget. Tickets for the general public, priced at $30 per car, are available at NoogaLights.com.

Corporate rates are also offered by emailing [email protected].  

Looking to extend the magic beyond the holidays? NoogaLights also provides permanent and temporary lighting displays for events held throughout the year. Visit NoogaLights.com to learn more. 

Adventure Sports Innovation 

Dash through the snow this coming winter on an off-road open Swincar. Adventure Sports Innovation offers you the freedom to cruise through the city or through the dirt in style.  

This year, give the gift of adventure to the thrill-seekers on your list with 30 experiences to choose from with price points to match most budgets. Gift cards are available for a wide range of adventures, from electric, off-road Swincar backcountry tours on Lookout Mountain, to a heart-pumping, virtual reality experience inside the company’s North Shore headquarters.  

Looking for something you can place under the tree instead? Adventure Sports offers the Eco-Flow Portable Power Station, a portable lithium battery that can charge up to 80% in an hour. They’re perfect for weekend camping trips and even come in larger sizes suited for off-the-grid living. 

Learn more at AdventureSportsInnovation.com. 

Buff City Soap

This holiday season, give your loved ones the most wonderful scents of the year.  

Buff City handmakes a wide range of fresh, fragrant products for self-pampering such as bath bombs, Epsom salts, and plant-based soaps. 

Their two Makery locations in Gunbarrel and Hixson bring the magic of Santa’s workshop to Tennessee. Buff City’s under-$15 sets of soaps, shower oils and more make perfect stocking stuffers – each are made with aromatic ingredients like coconut, shea butter and chamomile.  

Keeping those with sensitive skin in mind, Buff City takes pride in using only simple, clean ingredients full of natural plant-based goodness. They also offer moisturizing products to keep your skin healthy and nourished during the dry winter months.  

Scents range from fruity and floral to herbal and clean; unscented bath and laundry products are also available. Learn more at BuffCitySoap.com 

Chatt Taste Food Tour

The best thing about the winter holidays is gathering around the table to enjoy a decadent meal with family and friends.  

Chatt Taste Food Tour offers transformative dining and walking experiences through historic neighborhoods like Downtown, MLK, and Southside. 

Each tour features exclusive experiences with restauranteurs where visitors and locals alike can dive deeper into the history of landmark restaurants and bars, including Memo’s, Bitter Alibi, and Main Street Meats. 

Chatt Taste’s CEO (Chief Eating Officer) Briana Garza, along with her team of foodie extraordinaries, bring these stories to life through generous plates that cater to most palates and dietary restrictions.  

Chatt Taste’s curated experiences are perfect for business parties, family gatherings, or a weekend brunch with friends. Check off your nice list with a gift box filled with assortments of locally-sourced products like chocolates, coffees and jams. Gift cards are also available online.  

Learn more at ChattTaste.com 

Handup 

When the weather outside is frightful, keep your hands delightfully warm with Handup Gloves.  

Since launching in 2014, the Chattanooga-based cycling apparel company has built its brand on offering the best gloves for “grabbing bars and beers.”  

Handup’s signature Party Palm gloves are durable, eye-catching and feature a design where playful phrases appear inside the palm, such as “beer me,” “good vibes,” and “send it.”  

The company has extended its unique athleisure brand to offer cold-weather and winter sports products including flannels, windbreakers, socks and hoodies.  

Apart from their original designs, Handup also offers exclusive patterns through collaborations with brands like Velo Coffee, Pabst Blue Ribbon and Realtree Camo. Through a Handup initiative called Gloves that Give, Handup donates a portion of their proceeds toward important causes like the Southern Appalachian Highland Conservancy, Uganda Skateboard Society, and the Hopi Education Endowment Fund.  

Learn more at HandupGloves.com 

Shelly Cove 

If wintry weather leaves you longing for sand and surf, Shelly Cove has you covered.  

This mission-driven apparel company offers beach-inspired shirts, fleece and accessories with a portion of each purchase going toward conserving and rehabilitating a dwindling population of sea turtles in North America.  

Shelly Cove’s mystery gift bags are thoughtfully filled with their best sellers such as screen-printed tees, cozy hoodies and stickers packaged inside an eco-friendly tote bag. Each gift bag also includes the personal touch of a signed thank-you note from a Shelly Cove team member.  

As a mission-driven retailer, 10% of net profits go to the North Carolina-based Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue & Rehabilitation – continuing Shelly Cove’s mission to serve with excellence, create with quality, and inspire communities to do good. 

Learn more at ShellyCove.com.

SeahorseSnacks.com 

Satisfy your holiday cravings with nutritious, protein-rich nuts from Seahorse Snacks.  

Launched in 2019 by Chief Amazement Officer, Stacy Martin, Seahorse Snacks offers roasted nuts with unique and delicious flavors.  

This season’s best seller is their Maple Chaitastic Pecans – a “better for you” rendition of a candied pecan.  

Seahorse Snacks also offers savory and umami flavors like their “Chili Turmrific” almonds, cashews and pistachios that are must-have additions to your butter board or charcuterie.  

Learn more at SeahorseSnacks.com