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Snowmass shops local: Unique gifts and souvenirs for everyone on your list

Jill Beathard
Snowmass Sun
Gift basket
Jill Beathard/Snowmass Sun |

christmas Day is nearing, but if you need any last-minute gifts, stocking stuffers or souvenirs to take home, Snowmass Village’s local businesses have what you need. Ski gear and winter clothing is, of course, not in short supply — with more than 10 shops offering gear to rent or buy and even more than that selling ski apparel, the options in that category know no bounds.

But it doesn’t all revolve around skiing and snowboarding: Snowmass Village also has a strong base of locally owned stores providing unique clothing, wine, gifts and keepsakes that can’t be found just anywhere. Setting out to find special gift ideas last week, I found much more than I expected and realized that there truly is something for everyone in the village’s shops.

For starters, Reed Lewis’s 81615 shop at the entrance to the Mall offers everything from T-shirts to locally made jewelry to glasses and decorative items. This time of year, he also carries ornaments hand-painted by Snowmass resident Deb Orzech, which run from $23 to $40 for the larger ones.



Across the street at Grain, Lewis is offering a gift basket full of holiday food items, many of which come from Colorado. Wine can be added from the Daly Bottle Shop’s selection.

Moving down the Snowmass Village Mall, Michelle McCuiston has curated a beautiful selection of women’s clothing and accessories at her Enjay Boutique. McCuiston stresses that she carries items for every budget, from affordable jeans, leggings and tops to furs and specially-made couture pieces.




“You can get an outfit for under $100 or spend up to $2,000 if you want to go for a custom piece,” McCuiston said.

This time of year, she’s especially excited about the fur (both real and faux), vests and gloves she’s carrying and some affordable, unique dresses she says would be perfect for holiday parties.

Gorsuch also carries furs, winter apparel, high-end clothing and unique items celebrating the resort. This year one of their more popular items is a limited edition hat with the word “Snowmass” (there’s one for Aspen, too) knit around the bottom.

Also on the Snowmass Village Mall, the Ice Age Discovery Center offers a unique activity for families while also selling books and toys by donation. Celebrating the discovery of thousands of ice age fossils in Snowmass’ Ziegler Reservoir, a Snowy stuffed animal or a book about the discovery makes for a unique gift.

Down at the Snowmass Center, Sundance Liquor & Gifts is a one-stop shop for just about anything you need. In addition to a huge wine and beer selection, the store carries items like stuffed toys, board games, greeting cards and wrapping paper. Sundance also carries some handmade ornaments and other Snowmass-related gifts and apparel.

For the wine lover, though, owner Steve Wickes says the ultimate gift is the Coravin tool that helps pour wine from a bottle without pulling the cork, allowing it to be enjoyed again and again without compromising taste or quality.

Some of Snowmass’ most unique gifts can be found at the Anderson Ranch Arts Center. The gift shop boasts items by visiting artists — such as a collection of white pottery by Takashi Nakazato, a 13th-generation potter who is a Living National Treasure in Japan — as well as full-time faculty members, artists-in-residence and local artisans whose works available include everything from ceramics and prints to jewelry and quirky stocking stuffers.

The gift shop and Anderson Ranch campus will close to the public Dec. 24, but it’s not too late to buy what Marketing & Communications Director Jennifer Slaughter calls the “ultimate Anderson Ranch gift” — registration for one of the Ranch’s 150-plus summer workshops. Registration for 2016 workshops opens Jan. 4.

jill@snowmasssun.com