5 under-the-radar places to buy local in Fresno this holiday season. Where to go
Are you fan of a shopping local?
Fresno has plenty of places to buy gifts that aren’t big-box stores.
You probably already know about some of the longtime locally owned shops in town. Sierra Nut House and Enzo’s Table are mobbed during the holiday season with customers snapping up their locally grown goodies . Boutiques such as Vonda’s and Verdalee do it up big for Christmas. And Sour Milk in the Tower District is steadily gaining a following for its kitschy gifts.
But there are a few stores that operate a little under the radar. Some people haven’t discovered them yet. Some people assume they’re chains. Either way, here are five places to check out that are locally owned.
5 places to shop local
1. Let Me Take A Look
Let Me Take A Look is a whimsical little Hmong- and woman-owned gift shop near Fresno State that opened in 2023 in the Bulldog Plaza at Cedar and Barstow avenues.
It’s got jewelry, soaps and all kinds of trinkets. There are self-care themed items too, such as a happy little donut sticker that says “Donut give up.”
There are also lots of Fresno-themed stickers . Owner Suevia Vang is the digital artist behind many of the items in the shop. She came back home to Fresno after a career in the fashion industry.
Details: 1784 E. Barstow Ave. You can buy online, too.
2. Margaret Hudson’s Earth Arts Studio
Margaret Hudson was a longtime Fresno artist, known for creating little brown sculptures of animals, especially quails. She died five years ago, but her art lives on, often getting snapped up at estate sales.
But did you know a store selling her style of art is still open?
Margaret Hudson’s Earth Arts Studio is jam-packed with sculptures of bears, bunnies, squirrels, angels and more. The studio is tucked away in a residential neighborhood near Highway 41 near Ashlan and Blackstone avenues. You’ll likely want Google Maps to find it.
Today, the sculptures are made by Lydia Buciok, a Ukranian immigrant who with worked with Hudson for 40 years. Buciok asked Hudson for a job — her first — despite not having any experience turning clay into little animals. She recalls Hudson plopping down a ball of clay and saying, “Do it.”
She did, and the rest is history. The shop does custom orders with pictures of pets, even incorporating the ashes of dead pets into the clay.
Details: Margaret Hudson’s Earth Arts Studio is at 1946 E. Swift Ave. It’s open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays during the holidays.
3. SheraChic Boutique
This is probably the tiniest shop in Old Town Clovis. The 150-square-foot store is in a former alleyway between two buildings that was covered over in the 1970s to shelter the shoeshine man who worked there.
Today, the little spot is home to SheraChic Boutique, a jewelry and accessories store. And even though it’s on Pollasky Avenue, customers are still discovering it, said the owner Shera Franzman. It’s between Frost Oak Creek Creations and Rustic Lace Boutique.
SheraChic sells whimsical handmade jewelry. They’re mostly made of clay and mostly made by Franzman herself, though other artists are featured in the store.
“At any given time there are about 200 pairs of earrings on the wall” for purchase, she said.
You’ll find earrings in the shape of suns and moons, flying pigs, Krampus and more. There are also stickers, bandanas, scarves and art prints.
Details: SheraChic Boutique is at 421 1/2 Pollasky Ave., Clovis.
4. Resuscitated Thrift
Stores that feature multiple vendors are often good places to shop because of the variety. You may already be familiar with one such store, eclecticHOUSE at Palm and Bullard.
But there’s another store with a similar concept that’s a little less well known not too far away. Resuscitated Marketplace & Thrift Boutique is at Bullard and Marks avenues, in the same shopping center as the Fig Garden Library.
It has new, vintage, handcrafted and thrifted items. You’ll find furniture, thrifted clothing, vintage jewelry, Christmas decor, colorful dishes and more.
The store is a nonprofit that benefits Emergency Medical Services workers. It was started by Kim Damico — and a couple of partners — after she spent a 34-year career in the private-sector emergency services field.
A portion of profits go toward scholarships for people wanting to get into the field and other various safety net services that EMS workers often don’t have.
Details: Resuscitated Marketplace & Thrift Boutique is at 3087 W Bullard Ave.
5. Professor Toy
Many people assume Professor Toy is a chain, but the store is owned by a Visalia man, Rob Fox. It’s in the Villaggio shopping center next to Horn Photo.
The store tries not to compete with Target or Walmart, offering specialty and educational toys. So you’ll find science kits and STEM toys, such as a squishy anatomy kit with 21 removable body parts.
There are board games, puzzles, rocks and minerals, stuffed animals and Bruder toy trucks, which are popular lately.
And it’s got a huge LEGO section in its back room. There are LEGO ornaments, Harry Potter creatures and sports cars.
“We’ve been told we have one of the largest LEGO selections in all of the area,” Fox said.
If you don’t want to drive to Fresno, Professor Toy recently added departments inside PartyWorks stores in Visalia, Clovis and Fresno. Fox owns those stores, too.
Details: 7897 N. Blackstone Ave., in the Villaggio shopping center. Its toy catalog is online too.
This story was originally published December 17, 2025 at 5:30 AM.
