There are so many fun and exciting things to do during your Whitefish getaway, including hiking, biking, and skiing in the winter, but it is the indoor activities that may be your favorite ones—and by that we mean shopping. Our small-town is home to a variety of shops, stores, and boutiques that will give you hours of fun, excitement, and exercise for your credit cards, and because one of the joys of vacationing is experiencing adventures you have never before tried and meals that are not from your normal “stable” of chain restaurants, this guide to the top five local only Whitefish shops will ensure that you find treasures that you just can’t get at home!
Whitefish Farmers Market, 1 Central Avenue
The simple pleasures of shopping at a farmers’ market on a summer’s day are increased when you have the natural beauty of the Montana landscape surrounding you, and the Whitefish Farmers Market is one of our favorite places to shop in Whitefish. Open from May until September every Tuesday evening from 5:00 to 7:30, our farmers’ market is the gathering spot for locals and tourists alike offering more than delicious and locally sourced fruits and vegetables. Live music plays as you wander from vendor to vendor and because it is also a spot for local craftsmen and women to display your ways it is the perfect time to pick up a piece of Montana to bring back home and cherish forever!
Big Sky Antiques, 209 Central Avenue
One of the best ways to get to know the town you are visiting is by taking a peek into its past, and the most fun way we know of doing that is by visiting an antique store wherever we travel! Big Sky Antiques is a local favorite, and we can lose ourselves in the pieces that reveal a different time: furnishings that were created by hand, not picked up from a local store, tableware that all had specific purposes including little silver dishes for salt, little tongs for grabbing olives from a jar, and even sweet little saucers that have a place to hold your tea sandwiches! The beauty of quality craftmanship is apparent in everything and Big Sky Antiques has the best of the best.
Sappari, 215 Central Avenue #2
Sometimes you just do not know what it is you are looking for, but we can promise that you will find it here in Whitefish when your feet follow the sidewalks to Sappari! Offering women’s clothing that is stylish and on occasion somewhat quirky, the shiny stuff that makes every woman feel beautiful, and a giant selection of gifts, furniture, and home décor, the shelves are filled with everything you never knew you needed. Grab a soul flower notebook for your favorite yoga teacher, a beautiful piece of pottery for your mother-in-law, and because we can never have enough glitter in our lives, a pretty ring for your finger that will definitely get you noticed!
Copperleaf Chocolat Company, 239 Central Avenue
It is never the wrong time for chocolate, and the Copperleaf Chocolat Company is destined to be your new happy place! Located in the center of town and offering chocolates in every form possible, a visit to Copperleaf is guaranteed to sweeten the bitterest of dispositions. If you can’t bribe grumpy travelers with chocolate, this sweet shop shares space with Voyageur Booksellers, selling books and gifts that will brighten anyone’s day. Pick up a coffee table book about your favorite artist, a hand-carved duck decoy decorated with a single ribbon around its neck or add another purse to your collection; their hand-crafted selection of handbags never fails to please. At the end of your visit, however, if you don’t walk out of the store with a box filled with an assortment of artisan chocolates, well, you just may have to consider this trip a failure!
The Toggery Montana, 122 Central Avenue
Do you know what it means when a business manages to stay IN business for over 65 years? No? Well you will soon find out when you stop in the Toggery Montana for a little bit of shopping therapy. Knowing what people will like and being sure to offer lots of it is the first rule in retail, and this local shop has been doing just that throughout its existence! Family run and making shoppers feel like family when they visit, there are two Toggeries; one is in Kalispell, but it definitely not a chain store, just a family shop that needed to branch out a little! Offering outdoor wear and products that are sturdy and wonderfully made, and a few locally made pieces of art, this rustic shop in the heart of Whitefish is one of our favorites.
That’s a Lot of Bags! – Best Whitefish Shops
We can definitely see that your shopping expedition was a success, judging from all the bags you are carrying! Drop the bags on the bed, kick off your shoes, and relax awhile in comfort and style before heading out on more Whitefish adventures. Reserve your I Love Whitefish sanctuary today! Contact us!