McHenry Riverwalk Shoppes is a great place to start your local Christmas shopping.

The malls are not what they used to be at Christmas time. The crowds were often oppressive. There was competition to get to certain gifts first, usually toys from children’s Christmas Gift Lists. But, for McHenry shoppers, that largely gave way to the modern era.

Now, many people in McHenry do much or all of their Christmas shopping online. It’s a bonanza for Amazon and other online retailers. As a result, we see UPS, Amazon, FedEx, and USPS trucks all over the roads making deliveries.

Maybe you’ll still do some of your Christmas shopping online. But why not do some of your shopping locally? In McHenry, there are all kinds of shopping opportunities that may open windows on Christmas gift-giving ideas you might not have considered.

How’s this for an idea? Take a stroll through the McHenry Riverwalk Shoppes. Here are some of the options you’ll find there:

• AteaCo Coffee and Tea
• Bright Nest
• Edge Designs
• KEST jewelry
• Marvin’s Toy Store
• Patina Wine Shop
• Preserved Peculiarities
• The Bumble Bread Company
• The Pieceful Project
• Vintage Mercantile

North along Route 31, McHenry also offers options, such as: 

• TJ Maxx
• Pet Smart
• Old Navy
• Ultra
• Jo-Ann fabrics
• Pink Door Thrift Shop
• Q’tiques
• Verdant Sol
• Black Orchid Boutique
• Siren Records McHenry
• FiddlestiksHobby Lobby 
• and many more

Shopping McHenry Riverwalk Shoppes at night adds a nice Christmas ambience to  your local shopping experience.

More than just Christmas shopping, you can make an excursion of it. Go to the McHenry Recreation Center and check out the Festival of Trees. Check out the decorations on Green Street. Enjoy a coffee and a pastry at Toast And Roast on Green Street.

You can also have dinner in one of the many eateries in McHenry and the surrounding area.

You can make plans to meet friends while you’re out shopping. Then again, as long as you’re there, you’re liable to run into friends who are out doing their Christmas shopping, too.