Old Saint Nick will soon grace our homes with some of his special presents from the North Pole. But honestly, gifts found at local stores are probably even cooler.

The Taste Buds, in partnership with Choose Cornwall, want to spread their Local Love this holiday season. After elfing around town for a day, the Buds discovered several unique items that can make the perfect gift for those special people in your lives.

Almost every day until Christmas, The Taste Buds will post on social media about a local business as a part of their Local Love campaign. Each day will focus on some of the cool things that a particular business has to offer and what gift they think should make your wish list this year.

“For the past few years, all of our events have focused specifically around food,” said Taste Buds founder Pat Larose, referring to several tours like the most recent Burger Love. “We always wanted to showcase the local retailers, but just never found the right way to do it. This year presented the perfect opportunity for us to hit the streets, visit as many local retailers as we could, and show you some of the cool, unique items you can find in our own back yard. Let’s all do our best to try and support our local small businesses.”

In years past, the Taste Buds would contact local retailers about gift information for print gift guides. This year, the Buds felt it was time to spread some holiday jingle, and visited over 15 stores in-person to chat and encourage the holiday spirit. The gifts showcased in fun photos and videos will include some of the items that caught the Buds’ attention, as well as gift ideas the business owner may have noted to be popular this year.

“Why Local Love? Because local loves you,” said Taste Bud co-founder Matt Girgis. “Whether you need a sponsor for your kids ball team or need support for a charity close to your heart, who’s there for you? Your community. It’s more important now than ever before to show your #LocalLove.”

A number of initiatives in support of shopping local have cropped up this year, especially throughout the holidays, and the Taste Buds are here for it. Given the lingering social and economic effects of COVID-19, it is crucial to support local business owners during this time. As much as the Taste Buds wish they had Santa’s magic ability to visit every store, unfortunately they could not be everywhere this holiday season. Many amazing businesses may not be featured in Local Love this year because of this, but they deserve just as much recognition.

Whatever gift you may have in mind, no matter how big or small, it’s most likely somewhere close by. If you’re stuck, the Taste Buds will help you find it!

“Small independent merchants are an important part of Cornwall’s economy,” said Bob Peters of Cornwall Economic Development. “Shopping locally means that your spending supports local jobs and families, and helps to make our community more vibrant.”

To see interesting gifts, or if you need help locating that perfect present, contact or follow the Buds on Facebook and Instagram @yourlocaltastebuds, or on their website www.yourlocaltastebuds.ca.