Downtown Brainerd's Holiday Gift Run Now Starts on Laurel Street

Downtown Brainerd used to have one obvious place for a Minnesota-themed gift: the Visit Brainerd Gift Store on South Seventh Street. Last summer the Brainerd Dispatch reported that the store planned to close Aug. 22, after what its sign called "6.75 wonderful years in Downtown Brainerd." The same report said some of its Minnesota-themed lines would go to other shops rather than disappear.

Most of the shops named in that plan are independents on Laurel Street. Under it, the shelf that used to sit in one visitor store is split among several owners this holiday season, mostly within a few doors of each other. Downtown's holiday shopping kicks off on that block this weekend, when The Crossing Arts Alliance opens its Kringle Market on Friday, Nov. 13.

One Store's Shelves, Split Four Ways

According to the Dispatch, the Visit Brainerd Gift Store's Minnesota-themed lines were headed to The Old Open Window, The 218 Urban Nest and Little Threads Kidswear Boutique downtown, and to Christmas Point in Baxter. Visit Brainerd's marketing office and visitor information services were moving to 14410 Golf Course Drive in Baxter, in the building with Panache Salon and Day Spa. Brainerd History Group walks would be offered by appointment only. The Save the Water Tower merchandise that the store had featured would be sold at community events.

The plan doesn't move the lines to one new location. It spreads them across a home decor shop, a children's boutique, a gift shop and a holiday store. Anyone looking for a Brainerd-themed stocking stuffer will find the options mixed in with each shop's own stock, so shopping downtown this year means several stops.

The 700 Block of Laurel Street Carries the Season

Two of the shops named to carry those lines sit at 706 and 710 Laurel St. The Crossing Arts Alliance is at 711 Laurel St. That puts three holiday stops on the same block.

The Dispatch described The 218 Urban Nest as a mix of locally connected gifts, clothing, refurbished furniture, home decor and seasonal items. It covered Little Threads as a sustainability story, a boutique built around pre-loved children's clothing and gear with some new and locally made pieces mixed in. Both shops were already selling local-themed goods, so the Minnesota lines are a natural fit.

Across the block, the Kringle Market is The Crossing Arts' annual holiday market of art and fine craft. It brings in work from dozens of local and regional artists and makers, including pottery, mosaics, paintings, prints, knitted goods, jewelry, ornaments, fiber art and art supplies. Opening weekend is open to the public:

• Friday, Nov. 13: 3 to 7 p.m.
• Saturday, Nov. 14: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Crossing Arts promises hot cider, a holiday treat, shopping specials and giveaways for opening weekend. After that, the market keeps the gallery's regular hours, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays, and it is closed Sundays and Mondays. It is open Christmas Eve from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., closed Christmas Day, and then closed from Saturday, Dec. 26 through Monday, Jan. 4, 2027. It reopens Thursday, Jan. 7 at 10 a.m.

That schedule matters for planning. A Sunday or Monday trip downtown misses the market, and anything you plan to buy there for Christmas has to happen by Christmas Eve afternoon.

The New Downtown Owners Moved Into Old Buildings

Laurel Street is where the gift store's lines were headed. Elsewhere downtown, new owners opened or announced storefronts in 2026, in buildings with history of their own.

Books and Botanicals, 816 Front St. Erica Bordwell opened this shop of books, plants and gifts in August. She told the Brainerd Dispatch that the brick-fronted building with large windows on Front Street "just looked like a perfect little bookstore," and that owning one had been her dream since childhood. The store carries a range of genres and a children's section. She described it this way:

"It's not just a bookstore. It's about community. It's about meeting people. It's about coming in and having the coffee and the tea that is complimentary and having a seat on the couch and visiting."

That free coffee and tea makes Books and Botanicals a good place to take a break in the middle of a shopping trip.

Dal Furniture and Restoration, South Eighth Street. The Dispatch reported that this shop opened Thursday, Oct. 1, after two years of working out of a garage. It sells refurbished and restored furniture, antiques, vintage pieces, home decor and rugs. That makes it the downtown stop for bigger, one-of-a-kind gifts.

The Iron Horse, South Sixth Street. The Iron Horse, a home decor, furniture and gift shop, announced an Oct. 17 opening in the historic First National Bank building on South Sixth Street. Design Consign had been in that building from 2012 until it closed after a retirement sale this summer. According to the Dispatch, the name refers to the nickname for early train locomotives and to the Northern Pacific Railroad's role in Brainerd's founding. The store's Facebook post explained why it honors both meanings:

"But behind every Iron Horse was an actual one. A living breathing animal, hauling the equipment and breaking the ground that made it all possible which is why we chose to honor both with our logo and name."

Dal and The 218 Urban Nest both list furniture and home decor among what they sell, and The Iron Horse announced the same categories, so downtown has a lot of home goods within a few blocks.

Baxter Spent October Opening Drive-Throughs

Downtown Brainerd's 2026 openings are owner-run storefronts in older buildings. Baxter's this fall were different. In one ten-day stretch, the Dispatch reported:

• Panera opened Monday, Oct. 19, by Costco, with patio seating and a drive-through reached from Elder Drive near Highway 210.
• 7 Brew opened the same day on Fairview Drive in front of Westgate Mall, as a drive-through-only location. Max Wilson, the company's HR and marketing director, told the Dispatch, "We are just so excited to be here."
• Ollie's Bargain Outlet opened Wednesday, Oct. 28, at Westgate Mall, next to Ashley Furniture and in part of the former JoAnn Fabrics space. Regional director Darrin Wheat described it to the Dispatch as "real brands at real bargain prices."

Visit Brainerd's visitor services were also slated to move to Golf Course Drive in Baxter. Put that together and the area's holiday errands are going two directions. Baxter now handles the quick, drive-up stops along Highway 210 and Fairview Drive. Downtown Brainerd is where the locally themed and handmade gifts are, and where you park once and walk.

A Walking Order for Kringle Market Weekend

Kringle Market's Saturday hours, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., set the length of the day. One way to fit the downtown stops into it:

1. Start at The Crossing Arts, 711 Laurel St., when the doors open at 10 a.m. on Nov. 14, while opening-weekend specials and giveaways are running.
2. Cross the 700 block to The 218 Urban Nest at 710 Laurel St. and Little Threads at 706 Laurel St., two of the shops named to carry the Visit Brainerd Minnesota-themed lines.
3. Stop at The Old Open Window, another shop named in that plan.
4. Take a coffee break at Books and Botanicals, 816 Front St., where coffee and tea are free.
5. Finish with the furniture and decor stops: Dal Furniture and Restoration on South Eighth Street and the historic First National Bank building on South Sixth Street, where The Iron Horse announced its opening.

Friday's 3-to-7 p.m. opening at The Crossing Arts suits an after-work visit. If the Laurel Street shops are your main stop, Saturday leaves more time for the rest of the route.

The Rest of the Lakes Area Season

Downtown is the place for gifts with a Brainerd connection. The rest of the season's calendar spreads out across the lakes area:

The Pine and Lakes Echo Journal calendar has more listings across the northern lakes through late November. If you're shopping for Minnesota-themed gifts that used to come from the Visit Brainerd store, Christmas Point in Baxter is the stop for that part of the list outside downtown.

A downtown shopping Saturday like this one is part of knowing the Brainerd Lakes area well. If you own a home in the lakes area and want to know where its value stands heading into the new year, Mark Geier can give you a clear, local read in a single conversation. Request Your Free Home Valuation, and you'll work with Mark directly from the first call.