When Jeannine Luby was a teen, her parents took her to see rock icon Tina Turner. Decades later, she took that memory full circle, giving her mother tickets to share an evening at a Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic salute to Turner.
It’s a kind of gift Luby likes to give. “You’re not creating more stuff for landfills or things people won’t use,” said Luby, a comedian who lives in Scranton. “You are kind of giving two gifts. You are promising to spend your time with that person, and you can’t duplicate that.”
Luby pitched the idea of experiences as a good gift on the latest episode of her podcast, “Uncorked with Funny Wine Girl.”
There is a nationwide shift toward giving experiences as holiday gifts, according to TD Bank’s 2024 Merry Money Survey. It said 45% of respondents plan on giving experiences rather than merchandise.
That includes 55% of people earning more than $100,000 annually.
There are plenty of local options. Here are some suggestions, with a focus on the new or unusual, as well as insights on the traditional restaurant gift cards.
Jennifer Micciche, owner of Designs by Olivia Grey, stands in her shop while holding one of her Taylor Swift themed candles. (File photo)
In the past few weeks, two people have reached out to Sweet Valley photographer Krista Patla to buy a photo session and digital photos for relatives.
One was a mother who bought two sessions, one for a daughter and one for a son. Another buyer gave it to her parents. They wanted to ensure they had up-to-date photos.
It struck a chord with Patla. “I wish I had more photos of my dad, back when he was alive,” she said.
She specializes in outdoor shots and can be found on Facebook at KMN Photography.
The Art Room in Scranton is among the many local options for giving experiences instead of things for the holidays. It is owned by Cathy Mineo. (Courtesy of Cathy Mineo)
The Art Room in Scranton sells gift cards for its classes, camps and one-time events for kids and adults, led by Cathy Mineo, who has decades of experience teaching art in schools. “Sometimes the creative experiences are just a little better,” she said. Website: theartroomscranton.com.
There are a variety of art offerings in the region. One Luzerne County option is the Back Mountain Makery in Dallas, which has events for adults as well as children. Website: backmountainmakery.com.
Noteology, a Scranton candle and perfume store, offers DIY sessions and hosts groups. Website: noteology.com.
For a similar Luzerne County option, Designs by Olivia Grey in Pittston guides customers through making candles, individually, in groups and at themed events. Website: designsbyoliviagrey.com.
Taking a trolley to PNC Field in Moosic can make a Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders minor league baseball game into a bigger occasion. The Electric City Trolley Museum excursions come from Scranton for certain games. The museum runs several other kinds of trips, some aimed at children. Website: ectma.org.
The Everhart Museum in Scranton doesn’t sell gift cards for admission or merchandise. But you can give someone an annual membership, which includes free admission. Website: everhart-museum.org.
There are many regional options for giving tickets as gifts.
That includes getting out of town. Martz Bus sells single-day and multiday bus tours and trips to events, sometimes including tickets. There are regular trip and ticket packages for Broadway shows and shopping trip specials. Website: martzbus.com/tour-category/all-tours.
Big venues that sell gift cards good toward tickets include the Mohegan Arena in Wilkes-Barre Twp., and the Scranton Cultural Center in Scranton and F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts in Wilkes-Barre. Kirby Center memberships can also be given as gifts.
Kirby Center gift cards that have to be shipped should be ordered by Dec. 14. They are sold only at the 71 Public Square box office and by phone: 570-826-1100.
A restaurant gift card is a common way to give an experience. Of all gift card sales, restaurants are the leading category, at 27%, according to the National Retail Federation. Many can be bought online and can be emailed or printed.
Jack Cooper, co-owner of Cooper’s Seafood House in Scranton, said half of annual gift certificate sales come in December. Of those, about half are purchased online. His most common denominations are $50 or $100.
Cooper doesn’t like to talk about sales figures but says gift certificates are “lucrative.”
His don’t expire. Cooper’s has redeemed gift certificates from the 1970s and 1980s, he said.
“If you think about it, as you get older, how much stuff do you need?” Cooper said.
Scranton Tomorrow posts a gift card directory, with links, for restaurants, retail stores and services. Website: scrantontomorrow.org.http://scrantontomorrow.org
The National Retail Association reports that gift cards, of all kinds, are the most desired category of gifts, named by 50% of those surveyed. That beats out clothing and apparel by a few percentage points.