{"id":68722,"date":"2025-11-28T19:11:09","date_gmt":"2025-11-28T19:11:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/68722\/"},"modified":"2025-11-28T19:11:09","modified_gmt":"2025-11-28T19:11:09","slug":"how-to-keep-your-dollars-in-san-antonio-this-season-no-matter-who-youre-shopping-for","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/68722\/","title":{"rendered":"How to keep your dollars in San Antonio this season no matter who you\u2019re shopping for"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"AA shopper talks with a vendor at Esperanza\u2019s Peace Market. Credit: Jaime Monzon<\/p>\n

While the Current\u2019s profiles on local retailers and our list of gift ideas for local foodies offer plenty of suggestions about how to keep your holiday shopping dollars local, some folks on your list can be tricky because of their specific interests.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a list of ways to keep your purchasing power in San Antonio as you shop for friends, colleagues and loved ones whose hobbies may not always align with locally produced goods. \u00a0<\/p>\n

Music<\/p>\n

San Antonio\u2019s experiencing a renaissance in locally owned record stores. Hogwild Records Tapes & CDs (1824 N. Main Ave., (210) 733-5354, facebook.com\/hogwildrecords) is a good place to get recommendations for local releases that suit the tastes of the person on your list. Meanwhile, spots such as Crazy Rhythms Records (3617 Broadway St., Suite 402, (210) 998-2700, facebook.com\/crazyrhythmsrecords), Friends of Sound Records (multiple locations, friendsofsoundrecords.com), Flagship Records (6336 Montgomery Drive, (210) 508-6501, facebook.com\/flagshiprecords) and Batcave Vinyl (555 W Bitters Rd. #122, (210) 990-0071, facebook.com\/batcavevinyl) offer a wealth of collectables and obscurities.<\/p>\n

Arts and crafts<\/p>\n

Hit up one or more of the many holiday markets that focus on locally produced arts and crafts. Check the website of each market for the operating hours and more details. The 36th Annual International Peace Market\/Mercado de Paz (esperanzacenter.org\/event\/peace-market-2025) takes place Friday, Nov. 28, and Saturday, Nov. 29, offering a wealth of handcrafted gifts focused on the themes of peace, justice and the environment. If you want to time your shopping excursion with a look at downtown\u2019s holiday lights, Holidays on Houston Street\u2019s Market Weekend (visitsanantonio.com\/media-news-releases\/post\/downtown-san-antonio-shines-bright-as-holidays-on-houston-street-returns-for-its-third-year-in-2025) may be just your jam. The street market, which runs Friday, Dec. 12, through Sunday, Dec. 14, will bring together more than 50 vendors to offer artisan crafts, locally made clothing and a variety of one-of-a-kind gifts.<\/p>\n

Gaming<\/p>\n

San Antonio-owned gaming stores abound, and their staff would be happy to provide recommendations to match any age or interest, from dice and card-based games to role-playing systems to family board games. Some may even be able to point you to products by SA- or Texas-based creators. Knight Watch Games (16350 Blanco Road, Suite 116, (210) 888-1051, knightwatchgames.com) offers a dizzying array of selections suitable for any level of gamer. Heck, it even boasts specialized gameplay rooms and a costume shop for Ren faire fans. Court of Gamers (2824 Thousand Oaks Drive, (210) 920-4263, facebook.com\/courtofgamers) and Multiverse Games (739 W. Hildebrand Ave., (210) 455-4524, facebook.com\/multiversegamestx) offer knowledgeable but decidedly more stripped-down shopping experiences for those who are easily overwhelmed.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Reading<\/p>\n

Consider purchasing a book or a gift certificate from one of San Antonio\u2019s independently owned bookstores, including The Twig Book Shop (306 Pearl Parkway, Suite 106, (210) 826-6411, thetwig.com), Nowhere Books (5154 Broadway, (210)640-7260, nowherebookshop.com), and for horror fans, Ghoulish Books (628 S. Saint Mary\u2019s St., Suite 102, (210) 248-9593, ghoulish.rip). If you want to take your gift the extra step, ask the helpful staff at any of these spots to point you to recommended books by local authors.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Philanthropy<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re gifting for someone who would rather make the holiday season about doing good instead of amassing goods, consider making a donation to a San Antonio-based nonprofit in their name. The San Antonio Food Bank (safoodbank.org) is an easy one to get behind because of the basic need it fulfills in our community and the organization\u2019s history of making every dollar count. The Children\u2019s Shelter (childrensshelter.org), The San Antonio Humane Society (sahumane.org) and the San Antonio AIDS Foundation (sanantonioaids.org) are also great choices. If you\u2019re looking for others, visit the site greatnonprofits.org and search \u201cSan Antonio\u201d for a list of local charitable organizations rated by community input.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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