Dec. 10, 2020

This paid piece is sponsored by the Minnehaha County and Lincoln County Economic Development Associations.

Need a break from online holiday shopping? Consider taking a quick trip out of town. 

Shops in regional communities like Colton, Lennox, Dell Rapids and Tea have a wide variety of unique gifts from home decor and furniture to kids’ toys to clothing to metalwork and nearly everything in between. 

“We live in a strong, vibrant metro full of interesting businesses, people and experiences,” said Jesse Fonkert, executive director of the Lincoln County and Minnehaha County Economic Development Associations. “If you’re itching to spread your wings like me, you don’t have to travel far for unique shopping and experiences owned by a variety of local folks.”

These four shops in Minnehaha and Lincoln counties sell a variety of one-of-a-kind items. They all give you the option to get out of the house, safely support local businesses in the region and check all the boxes off your holiday shopping list.

Dust to Dawn

Where to find it: 308 S. Main St., Colton.

When it’s open: Hours vary, but the shop will next be open Dec. 12. Follow on Facebook for updates.

Dust to Dawn opened in Colton in late November in a Main Street spot that has been in owner Amber McMillen’s family for generations. 

The store used to house Howie’s gas station, owned by McMillen’s grandfather since 1950. The family sold the property in 2010, but after a fire burned the existing building nearly entirely to the ground, the family repurchased the property and rebuilt it to look just like Grandpa Howie’s original store. 

McMillen now owns the store, along with her mother, Brenda Amundson. The two named it Dust to Dawn in a nod to both the restorative nature of the products inside and to McMillen’s grandmother named Dawn. 

McMillen and Amundson sell refurbished furniture and home decor. 

“We’re taking old stuff and making it beautiful again,” McMillen said. 

Their products are often one-of-a-kind, from restored hutches and dressers to wall hangings and seasonal items like snowmen crafted from wooden pallets. 

The owners also tackle restoration projects, so if there’s an heirloom or worn piece of furniture you’re looking to give a second life, they can help. 

Stacey’s Vintage-Art-Boutique

Where to find it: 27102 Albers Ave., Sioux Falls.

When it’s open: 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

With more than 10,000 square feet, it’s almost easier to ask owner Stacey Namminga what she doesn’t have in her store.

“We have 95 local vendors in our store, and most of them handmake at least a portion of the items they offer for sale,” said Namminga, owner of Stacey’s Vintage-Art-Boutique on the east side of the Tea exit on Interstate 29.

Namminga opened the boutique in April 2019. The store’s wide variety of products include homemade lotions, soaps, bath bombs, gift baskets, chalk paints, blankets and refurbished antiques.

Stacey’s also sells home decor, stones and crystals, plants, metalwork and some children’s items, including teething rings for babies.

Many of the vendors can do custom work, including clothing and vinyl, as well, Namminga said.

The store offers some food items, including homemade soups, cupcakes and coffee beans.

And, if you’re looking to socially distance, it’s easy to do at Stacey’s spacious location.

“There can be a lot of people in the store, and you don’t have to be near any of them,” she said.

Stacey’s also helps customers over Facebook, where the store frequently posts photos of products available. If you see something you like on the Facebook page, you can call, pay over the phone and just drop in to pick up your purchase. Customers can also join a VIP group on Facebook to be sure to see the latest items available.

Mayme Jane’s Boutique Gifts and Accessories

Where to find it: 313 N. Main St., Suite 1, Lennox. 

When it’s open: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and by appointment.

Mayme Jane’s Boutique Gifts and Accessories opened in an old house in Lennox in 2013. It’s a small shop, owner Tonya Ringen said, but it has a lot to offer. 

Each room in the store has its own theme, from kitchen items to accessories to children’s items, and everything in the store is hand-picked by Ringen. 

“I wanted to surround myself with things that I love,” she said. 

In addition, Mayme Jane’s sells handcrafted items from about a dozen makers. 

Some of her bestsellers include Swedish dishcloths, which are a biodegradable and reusable alternative to a sponge, aprons made of vintage tablecloths and Ozone socks, which are woven socks made in Columbia. 

The shop also has a selection of jewelry, clothing and baby gifts, including toothbrushes approved by Ringen’s husband, who is a dentist. 

After closing for a short while this spring, Ringen reopened the store with extra precautions during the coronavirus pandemic. She is stocked with hand sanitizer, cleans between customers as best she can and asks shoppers to wear a mask. For now, she’s accepting only cash or check payments.  

Additionally, if shoppers know what they’re looking for, Ringen can share photos of specific items and have purchases ready for an easy pickup. 

Mayme Jane’s also reserves Monday and Tuesday for private shopping appointments, a service Ringen began during the spring and restarted in recent weeks. 

The biggest endorsement Ringen said she gets as a business owner is when people stop by the store to grab a last-minute gift, knowing they’ll find something at Mayme Jane’s. 

“It’s always such a nice compliment,” she said.

The Mason Jar Boutique

Where to find it: 406 E. Fourth St., Dell Rapids or online at shopthemasonjar.com.

When it’s open: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, with extended hours until 7 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

The Mason Jar Boutique sits right on the main thoroughfare in Dell Rapids amid boutiques, restaurants and a coffee shop.

“It’s a fun. small-town shopping experience,” owner Katie Wilson said.

The boutique sells women’s clothing of all types from dresses to sweaters to jeans as well as accessories and jewelry.

The holiday collection, “Sequins & Snow,” lives up to its name with sequin dresses, rompers and pants, a sparkling gold clutch and a tulle skirt among several other items.

Wilson opened the boutique in 2014. The Mason Jar also has a warehouse in Dell Rapids and a second location in Cave Creek, Ariz.

The Dell Rapids shop also is connected to a flower shop, where Wilson sells fresh flower arrangements, home accents, Christmas decor, picture frames and other gift items.

“It’s a huge building,” she said.

Outside the building, though, about 90 percent of The Mason Jar’s sales are online. That’s only increased since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, but the online sales have helped keep the boutique in business.

Over Black Friday weekend, the warehouse shipped 4,000 packages, and buyers are all over the country.

For shoppers who live close, though, a stop into the store is worthwhile, and, because it’s near so many other local retailers, Wilson said, “You can kind of make a day out of it.”