Oregon is known for its fiercely creative and innovative makers — from handmade art and jewelry to home products, clothing and of course food and drink. Whether you’re looking to send a special Oregon-made product to a loved one or treat yourself, you don’t have to look far. Here are some gift ideas from around the state to show your love.
For the Foodie
Mmmm, is there anything more comforting than cheese? Stock up online at Bandon’s Face Rock Creamery, Rogue Creamery in Central Point (home of the award-winning blue cheese) or the famous Tillamook Creamery. Then go online for ooey-gooey, step-by-step Tillamook recipes — try the rosemary and kale mac and cheese. For the true cheese lover, plan a trip along the Oregon Cheese Trail, where you’ll get to meet many of the state’s 20-plus cheesemakers and learn about how these fresh artisan products each represent their own terroir.
Farms products from the Hood River Fruit Loop make perfect gifts: jams and honeys from Packer Orchards and Apple Valley Country Store; wine from Cathedral Ridge Winery and Stave & Stone Wine Estates; and soothing, stress-relieving lavender products from Hood River Lavender Farms.
Portland has an international reputation as a foodie town thanks to dedicated restaurateurs and talented chefs. Show your love by buying online gift cards for dining, or restaurant swag like hats and T-shirts. If you love Oregon seafood and want to support local fishers, Local Ocean in Newport makes it easy to put fresh, sustainably sourced seafood on the dinner table with its Dock Box program — a meal kit that includes all ingredients and recipes for dishes like fish n’ chips, crab cakes and crab-stuffed halibut.
Don’t forget the sweets. Ida’s Cupcake Cafe in Bend and Redmond ships its four-pack cupcake parfaits — red velvet, chocolate-almond joy, vanilla salted caramel and peanut butter-stuffed chocolate — anywhere in the country. Know someone who has a high bar for their at-home coffee? Restock with freshly roasted beans from Sisters Coffee Company, Noble Coffee Roasting in Ashland, Sleepy Monk Coffee in Cannon Beach and Takelma Roasting Co. in Roseburg, a Native-owned business. Family-owned Arrowhead Chocolates in Joseph sells it handcrafted treats online; consider a box of the award-winning huckleberry and espresso truffles.
Looking for inspiration for your next tasty road trip? Check out the many farms, restaurants and other foodie havens across the state along Oregon Food Trails.
For the Book and Art Lover
Legendary Powell’s Books is always fun to browse, but you can also order titles online. Look to other independent neighborhood bookstores to do the same. Plus, if you need something besides Monopoly and Scrabble to play with the kids, check out Powell’s online selection of board games. Small-town bookstores are also a treasure, and happy to accommodate online ordering. Support favorite local shops like Rebel Heart Books in Jacksonville, Beach Books in Seaside and Gold Beach Books in Gold Beach, then visit in person next time you’re in town.
Here’s a tip for truly authentic Oregon art and jewelry: Oregon is home to nine federally recognized tribes, each of which runs its own casino gift shop with beautiful handmade goods. In Central Oregon, the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs run Tananáwit, a nonprofit shop that is home to a community of Warm Springs artists who produce beadwork, huckleberry baskets, ceramics, cedar root baskets, pine needle baskets, quilts, traditional ribbon shirts and wing dresses, traditional jingle dresses, paintings, deer hide bags and moccasins, buckskin dresses and more. Browse and purchase artists’ items online directly from their personal collections.
For the Kids
Between holiday breaks and long weekends, it’s always good to have some at-home ideas for kids to balance out screen time. Print out a free OMSI stay-at-home activity for DIY science fun and then visit the museum when you can for hands-on exploration. Consider giving the gift of an annual membership to support OMSI’s educational mission. A great place to visit year-round, the Oregon Zoo cares for more than 1,800 animals. You can help by participating in the zoo’s Symbolic Adoption Program. If you make a $79 donation, you’ll receive an earth-friendly plush animal, framed photo, personalized adoption certificate, animal fact sheet and sticker. You can check on how the real animals are doing every day here.
Oregon Coast Aquarium has a similar online Adopt-an-Animal program. For $65, you’ll receive a plush stuffed animal, 5”x7” photo, personalized adoption certificate, species fact sheet, aquarium sticker and newsletter subscription. The High Desert Museum in Bend cares for more than 100 animals — from bald eagles to river otters to desert tortoises. You can adopt an animal; commitments range from $25 to $150 with various swag packages.
For the Outdoor Enthusiast
If you’re shopping for a camper, hiker or frequent visitor of Oregon State Parks, the gift of an annual park permit or some parks merch — a mug, journal, beanie or a deck of playing cards with your favorite park on it — will surely bring surprise and delight. For gearheads who can’t get enough, a gift card to a local outdoor shop in Oregon is a fantastic way to support small businesses. You can order iconic Pendleton blankets and clothing online. The national park line is perfect for the outdoorsy person in your life. The gift of an annual Northwest Forest Pass would be another winner that’ll score you brownie points in the gift department.
Gift a summertime rafting trip with Northwest Rafting Company, Rogue Rafting Company or Orange Torpedo Trips on the Wild and Scenic Rogue River or a kayaking tour with Sky Lakes Wilderness Adventures or ROE Outfitters on Spring Creek in Southern Oregon. South Coast Tours offers paddling trips for all skill levels on Oregon’s stunning South Coast; and Wanderlust Tours, based in Bend, is perfect for the adventurer who may want to try guided caving, snowshoeing, canoeing or local beer tasting. Hellgate Jetboat Excursions lets you explore the Rogue on multiple-day tours, with stops at riverside cabins and gourmet meals.
Check out the full range of Oregon’s tours and guided trips for the ultimate gift that will keep on giving. Here’s more inspiration for giving the gift of a guided tour.
For the Happy-Hour Lover
Many Oregon distilleries produce phenomenal whiskies, gins, bourbons and more, many using local ingredients, like Portland’s Freeland Spirits. Check out their beautiful swag online. For the craft brew lover in your life, what better way to show your love than with a branded hoodie, T-shirt, beanie or ball cap? Check out the merch at pFriem Family Brewers and Ferment Brewing Company in Hood River, Solera Brewery in Parkdale, and Freebridge Brewing in The Dalles.
Many wineries offer shipping discounts, wine deals and special gift packs, especially around May, which is Oregon Wine Month. Whether you’re looking for eco-friendly wineries, celebrity- or women-owned wineries, Latino-owned wineries, urban wineries in Portland or wineries from the burgeoning Rogue Valley or Tualatin Valley, there’s never been a better time to stock up on your favorite vintages. If you can’t visit in person, a wine club membership makes for a fabulous gift (for yourself and your loved ones, of course).
A purchase with Corvallis-based Bella Vino Gifts has a ripple effect throughout the state. The company fills its baskets and boxes with carefully selected Oregon-made products, which in turn supports other small businesses. Choose gifts themed around Oregon beers, wines and specialty-food items or around regions like the Oregon Coast. Bella Vino also curates some baskets to only include products from family- and women-owned businesses. Each basket or box is beautifully arranged with special attention to using sustainable materials.
More Oregon Gift Inspiration
- My People’s Market is an annual event marketplace of Portland’s multicultural vendors.
- The Portland Bazaar puts the spotlight on 80+ Portland artists and small businesses.
- Crafty Wonderland has two Portland stores and two annual craft markets, but also sells many of its products online.
- Hood River Marketplace lets you to shop products, takeout and gift certificates from Hood River businesses.
- Genuine Wallowa County features gift boxes and handmade items from makers from Wallowa County and the Nez Perce Tribe.
- Bush Barn Art Center showcases the Salem Art Association’s ceramicists, jewelers, woodworkers and more.
- Come Thru Market is an incubator for Black and Indigenous farmers and makers, open seasonally in Portland.
- CorePDX in Portland’s Jade District is an Asian-owned gathering place for the community, hosting markets with local vendors year-round.
- Portland Night Market is a popular shopping extravaganza for locally made food, drink and artisan goods, held three times per year.
