Downtown Shopping: These Are a Few of My Favorite Things

By Krista Thom
Contributing Writer

Ah, December. As the familiar refrain goes, it’s the most wonderful time of the year. This is the time when the snow is falling, Christmas carols are playing, and bell-ringers are standing on every corner. With all the good cheer in the air, we sometimes forget the true meaning of the holiday season.

Presents.

No, I’m just kidding! (Not really.) But it is the time of year when we do our ritual holiday shopping. It’s a time when we bond with our fellow man, as we all share in that great universal truth: there is no good parking left.

So instead of tearing your hair out at the mall, why not try something different this year? Why not try Downtown Fargo? The unique stores there offer a welcome alternative to the big-chain variety.

In case you haven’t been downtown in awhile, we’ve come up with a guide to get you started.

KotiKites and Wind Sports
102 Broadway

If you don’t often make it down to Broadway, you’ve probably missed out on KotiKites and WindSports. This store, which occupies the space formerly held by Vlana Vlee, had its grand opening on November 22.

The people at KotiKites know how to put wind energy to good use. Their more traditional kites come with all kinds of designs on them, ranging from unicorns and suns, to jolly rogers and guitars. I even saw one kite with a pink ribbon for breast cancer awareness. If a traditional kite is too boring for you, you can find kites shaped like ships, planes, pinwheels, birds, and octopuses (or would that be octopi?). They even have kites small enough to fold up and stick in your pocket.

They also carry a selection of smaller toys that make excellent stocking stuffers. Most of these products, which include bouncy balls, rubber ducks, modeling clay, and magic tricks, are in the $1-3 range. And they stock the type of toys you’d find in a science museum, like a home planetarium and tin can robot.

But the real reason for the store’s existence is wind sports. I was not aware of this before I went in, but apparently kite flying has become an extreme sport. How it works is, you strap yourself to a giant kite, and let it propel you along the ground.

Depending on the season and the type of terrain, you can use all kinds of accessories. For snow kiting, you strap your feet into a device that looks like a modified snowboard. In the summer, you can swap your snowboard for a water board or skateboard. I saw one video of a man who looked like he was skiing down a mountain, and then jumped off into thin air.

Frontier Americana
114 Broadway Suite G6

If your list includes any history buffs with a particular interest in the Old West, Frontier Americana is the place to go. Here, you can pick up gifts that are a little more original than a Louis L’Amour novel.

Frontier Americana, located inside the Black Building at 114 Broadway, specializes in selling pieces of American history. Their inventory includes a wide selection of antique saddles, bridles, dice cups, beaded moccasins and bags, and even old buffalo coats. Not to be missed is a set of period cattle-horn furniture.

One of the store’s specialties is antique firearms. They have all kinds of rifles, handguns, and derringers. They also carry all the necessary accessories – holsters, sights, and even ammunition.

If you want to do a little research before making a purchase, check out the little reference library on the south wall. There, you can find information on most of the products sold in the store. This is also an excellent way to kill time if it’s cold and you don’t want to go back outside.

Art Materials
300 Broadway

This is a store that pretty much lives up to its name. If your list includes any aspiring artists, Art Materials is the place to go. I can’t think of anything an artist would need that they don’t have. I’ve been to many stores where they sell those wooden human art manikins, but this is the first time I’ve seen dog and cat
versions. There’s an astounding variety of paints, paintbrushes, canvas, sketchbooks, framing tools, and paper. They even have putty knives, in case you want to follow along with Bob Ross reruns on PBS.

Not everything in Art Materials is meant for professional artists. There are a number of fun products geared toward kids and young adults. Some of my favorites were a pottery wheel, tie-dye kit, wooden stamp set, screen printing kit, and henna tattoo kit. There are all kinds of art sets available, in any type of medium.

Zandbroz
420 Broadway

I have no idea what the people at Zandbroz are thinking when they select their merchandise, but whatever their strategy is, it works. I had a really hard time doing objective research in there, because every time I turned a corner, I saw a new set of stuff that I wanted for me. If you have absolutely no idea what to get someone on your list, Zandbroz is a good place to start looking.

Some of my favorite things were the Swedish and Norwegian magnetic poetry kits, a water calligraphy board, teapots, a calligraphy set, fancy chocolates, a one-handed pepper grinder, a crazy cat lady action figure, and a book describing 750 kinds of cheese. They also have a good selection of lotions, incense, accessories, preserves, house wares, games, cards, and gifts.

A good portion of Zandbroz is devoted to books, but it doesn’t have the same feeling as a chain bookstore. Most of the books being displayed weren’t on the New York Times’ bestseller list. I got the impression that the books at Zandbroz were chosen because they were interesting, not because they were guaranteed to sell.

They have an especially good selection of art books, local books, and books by
Scandinavian authors. Some of my favorite finds were The Book of Genesis Illustrated, which turned the first book of the Bible into a comic book, and All My Friends Are Dead, which had a picture of a dinosaur on the cover, and which was a surprisingly funny combination of kids’ book and gallows humor.

If you already have most of your shopping done, you should still go to Zandbroz for the wrapping supplies. They have a great selection of boxes and bags, and some of the coolest wrapping paper I’ve ever seen (to be fair, it doesn’t come in rolls, and most of it isn’t really wrapping paper, but I’m told it can be used as such).

O’Day Cache
317 Broadway

This is another store that’s worth a look around. O’Day Cache has a very interesting mix of products, from jewelry to chocolates to furniture to Venetian masks. I got distracted not too far from the entrance by the selection of fancy chocolate bars from Vosges. Flavors included Red Fire (made with chipotle chilies) and Mo’s Bacon Bar.

A lot of the items I saw had a distinct Asian influence. There were Japanese tea sets, parasols, purses, paper lamps, and calligraphy wall hangings. One of the most unique items was a towel set that was wrapped up to look like sushi. I almost didn’t make it out without buying a few throw pillows and a bamboo rug for myself.

If you’re interested in antiques, O’Day Cache is definitely worth a stop. In the back room, you’ll find furniture from China, Tibet, and Mongolia that ranges from 80 to 200 years old. Many of these pieces are carved and painted, and are still in good shape. Prices generally hover around $1,000.

What I love about O’Day Cache is that it’s a place you can go to look for stocking stuffers or living room furniture. There are cute little novelties, and then there are some real quality pieces. There’s also a small clothing boutique tucked into the back called Proper & Prim.

ScanDesign
110 Broadway

My first impression of Scan Design was that it’s a sort of IKEA for grownups. The furniture shares the same kind of minimalist styling, and puts the same sort of emphasis on clean lines and bold colors. But you won’t find this furniture in a college dorm. The furniture is more high-end, but on the plus side, you don’t have to put it together yourself.

Although Scan Design mostly sells furniture, they do have some smaller articles that make good gifts. They sell dishes, coasters, lamps, globes, and glassware. They also have a collection of dishes and bowls woven by women in Uganda, which are priced between $29 and $55. They have several sets of geography card games that look fun, and cost only $10.

One of my favorite products at ScanDesign was the rocking sheep. This variation on a rocking horse is made using a complete sheep skin. However, its $499 price tag makes it a bit of an indulgence gift.

Boucle Yarn Studio
311 Broadway

In the interest of full disclosure, I should say that I am not a fan of knitting. I know there are people out there who can knit fun and interesting things that are even fit to be worn in public, but I am not one of them. When I try to knit, I spend months working on a project, and I end up with clothing so ugly, I couldn’t pawn it off on freezing Siberian orphans.

So I was a bit disturbed when, five minutes into my visit to Boucle, I started to think, hey, this knitting thing looks like fun! Indeed, Boucle has everything a knitter could possibly want. They have all sorts of needles, storage bags, books, and buttons. And yarn. I had no idea just how many kinds of yarn there are. They have shiny yarn, super-fine yarn, fuzzy yarn, yarn that looks like ribbon, yarn that looks like thread, and yarn made from baby alpacas, camels, and qiviut (I had to look that last one up; apparently it’s the term for musk ox wool. Keep that in mind the next time you’re playing Scrabble).

Boucle also provides support for people who are still learning how to knit. They offer several classes, some of which are structured around certain projects (knitting socks, mittens, etc.), and some of which allow you to bring in your own project. They even teach classes on spinning (why, yes, Boucle does sell spinning wheels).

Great Northern Bicycle Company
425 Broadway

Naturally, this is the place to go if you’re looking to buy a bike for someone, but you can also check out the wide range of parts and accessories. They carry helmets, locks, water bottles, baskets, and specialty bicycling clothes.

And just because it’s winter doesn’t mean you have to stop riding your bike. Great Northern Bicycle Company sells studded tires which let you ride over snow and ice, headlights which let you ride in the dark, and luggage racks to help you haul your stuff around town. If you aren’t sure about riding in the snow, you can pick up a set of trainers, which are devices that allow you to convert your regular bicycle into an exercise bike.

They also offer indoor spin classes, which will help you learn proper cycling technique. Even if you’re not interested in racing, this is a great way to stay in shape during the winter.

Boerth’s Gallery
212 Broadway

This is an excellent place to go for artsy-type gifts, such as art. They have a great selection of paintings and other artwork. I especially liked the metallic-looking clocks with the pendulums.

The thing I like about Boerth’s is that there are many different tastes displayed. Some of the art is uber-modern, some is more traditional, and some looks a little more commercial. There are paintings of wild horses, old-fashioned diners, and colors. The prices range from modest budget to pretty penny.

Boerth’s also sells other items, such as wine and martini glasses, jewelry, candles, preserves, and glassware.

C. Lizzy’s
410 Broadway

If you want a truly unique gift, C. Lizzy’s is the place to go. You won’t find anything mass-produced here; everything in the store is handmade, and most of it is made locally.

The store is run by a mother/daughter team, Liz Walberg and Cari Luchau. Liz works with metal to create much of the jewelry, collages, and artwork. Cari creates the store’s signature painted glasses. They also bring in products from friends, family members, and other local artists. These include mittens made of felted wool and polar fleece, jewelry, and picture frames.

Some of the classic C. Lizzy products are the magnets made out of buttons, the jewelry made out of hardware, and the Christmas ornaments. Every year, C. Lizzy comes up with a new Christmas ornament design (this year’s design features a metal reindeer).

There ya have it, Reader readers. This holiday season, roam the streets of Downtown, shop, and have a cocktail when you’re finished. It beats the hell out of the mall.

Questions and comments: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)