Top 5 Hillsborough Street Gift Ideas

Small Business Saturday on November 25 will mark the start of local holiday shopping for many communities throughout the country, including the Hillsborough Street district.

Of course, Hillsborough Street is not your typical retail center filled with small boutiques; proving it is just as important to dine small as it is shop small.

Hillsborough Street is blessed with one of the highest concentrations of arts and cultural institutions in Raleigh. The close proximity of high quality theatres, restaurants, and world-class museums make it easy to put together a unique cultural experience your loved ones will remember for a lifetime.

Don't fight the parking mess at other retail centers in the city. Thousands of free spaces open up during the holidays when students go home, not to mention Hillsborough Street is free and open to the public after 5:00 p.m. nights and weekends all year round.

5 Holiday Gift Ideas on Hillsborough Street:

1) Dinner and a Show

Treat your spouse to dinner and a show at one of the many theatres and comedy clubs in the district, including the new location of ComedyWorx, picured below, in the Royal Bakery Building.

2) Keep it Funky

Explore the burgeoning scene around W. Morgan Street where you will find two local vegan and vegetarian-friendly restaurants, the recently relocated Remedy Diner, and the award-winning institution Irregardless Cafe. Grab a local beer at Drink, Drank, Drunk or around the corner at The Green Monkey where you can also pick up unique local art.

3) Live Music and Performances

Speaking of Irregardless, they have music seven nights a week and are known to present high quality jazz, folk, blues, and bluegrass acts. City Limits Saloon and Caza Nightclub will be announcing their New Year's Eve plans soon, but you can count on both being popular spots to ring in 2018.

Sonorous Road has announced holiday programming with a presentation of Gift of the Magi December 8 - 22 and tickets are available for the entire season of Arts NC State.

4) Save It For a Sunny Day

Grab something to go from Hillsborough Street and head to the Rose Garden (pictured below) at Raleigh Little Theatre. Then, you can ride your LimeBike on the greenway to the North Carolina Museum of Art and explore their sculpture gardens.

5) Become a Booster

Love the arts and culture? Have a realitive that does? Consider making a monetary donation to the Gregg Museum of Art and Design, Theatre in the Park, Raleigh Little Theatre or another worthy cause, like the Alexander YMCA.

The best way to support small business is to vote with your wallet.