Now is the Time to Start Your Holiday Shopping

This holiday season, consider upping your gift game by giving Berkshire experiences instead of material things!  Plan a weekend getaway, gift a spa day, wrap up tickets for a show or a museum, or surprise someone with a gift card for an outdoor adventure. Gifts of experience and learning are a great way to create wonderful memories for and with your family and friends, and you’ll find plenty of unique and creative ideas right here in the Berkshires!

For a gift of peaceful relaxation, arrange a stay at Canyon Ranch in Lenox or why not gift the joy of motion and get them some yoga classes at Radiance Yoga or North Adams Yoga.  Pamper someone special with a massage or manicure at In Touch Day Spa, Lotus Salon & Spa or Body and Soul Day Spa. Book a blissful retreat on the hilltop campus of Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health overlooking Stockbridge Bowl—one of the best views in the Berkshires.

For cultural experiences, consider a season’s pass to Tanglewood or tickets to area art museums such as MASS MoCA, the Clark, or the Norman Rockwell Museum. Theaters in the area offer everything from music concerts to indie films to Shakespeare and programs perfect for kids.

Looking for adventures of the “bucket list” variety? How about a ride in a hot-air balloon with Spirit Ballooning, or a thrilling zip line at Ramblewild or Catamount Aerial Adventure Park? An overnight stay at the Old Inn on the Green with a candlelit dinner would be an amazing gift for your favorite foodie. Outdoor lovers will appreciate a river rafting trip with Crab Apple Whitewater, or cross-country ski lessons and a rental at the Arcadian Shop in Lenox or why not get them a season pass to one of our downhill ski areas?

Sounds exciting, right? There are so many experiences in the Berkshires that will bring a smile to your loved ones’ faces. For more gift-giving inspiration, view our calendar of upcoming events in the area. You might even find something to put on your own wish list!

Explore Shopping in the Berkshires

Nancy Macy is a freelance writer and editor based in the Berkshires.

Photos courtesy: Kacey Hatch (top) and Norman Rockwell Museum (bottom)