Small Business Saturday falls on Nov. 29th. It’s a great opportunity to get holiday shopping done while supporting your local community and the businesses that need each and every one of us to flourish. In this weekend’s Pick Six blog, we share the Finger Lakes Insiders tips on where to shop for Small Business Saturday.

Val

Val is all about experiences! Her first recommendation is to take a trip to the New York Wine & Culinary Center in Canandaigua and pick up a gift certificate for one of their cooking classes. The options are endless – pie baking, knife skills, pizza baking and more are all a part of the fun. And, if you’re looking to get healthy after all that food you’ll be enjoying, sign up for a class at Tall Trainer in Canandaigua, a local wellness and fitness guru!
 

Sue

This holiday season, our main foodie insider, Sue, is all about the White Corn project at Ganondagan. When the French destroyed the Native American community of Ganondagan in 1687, they destroyed over 500,000 bushels of white corn in the granary on Fort Hill. White corn has recently come back in a big way at Ganondagan. The Native American Historic Site sells bags of whole corn, hand-roasted corn and corn flour, as well as gift bags featuring all three varieties.
 

Michelle

Michelle loves Naples and she knows her family loves chicken wings. So, she’ll be stopping by the Middletown Tavern in Naples to pick up a few gift certificates. A lot of places have chicken wings in the Finger Lakes, but few are as good as the Middletown Tavern! Michelle will also be stopping at Adorn Jewelry in Canandaigua, which is full of one-of-a-kind pieces. Michelle goes to Adorn every holiday season to pick out a new scarf and pair of earrings for her daughter, Sarah.
 

David

David is a coffee aficionado. In fact, we don’t know anyone that loves coffee as much as David! He’ll be getting some local gifts for friends and family at the Dalai Java in Canandaigua. Each blend of Dalai Java’s coffee is combined with medicinal grade Chinese herbs to enhance the coffee experience. Not only does the coffee taste great, it’s great for you, too!
 

AJ 

AJ has family that loves cooking, so he’ll be making a stop at Geneva’s Red Jacket Orchards to pick up a few copies of their new cookbook, Fruitful: Four Seasons of Fresh Fruit Recipes. There is a whole lot of Finger Lakes packed into the cookbook which features produce that can be found in the Finger Lakes throughout the year.  
 

Carol

This weekend, Carol will be out shopping for her grandchildren. Each little one will certainly be getting a gift from the Unique Toy Shop in Canandaigua, one of the last remaining independent toy stores in the area. For stocking stuffers, she recommends a visit to Sweet Expressions and the Renaissance Goodie II shop as well.