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Black Friday used to be a big deal for my sister and I. We would get up super early on that Friday morning and hit the big retail stores in search of finding a good deal. The past few years though, material things and the thrill of the hunt for a bargain have become less appealing for me. This Black Friday, we didn’t drag ourselves out of bed before the sun came up, and we didn’t spend money we didn’t need to. Instead, this Black Friday, my sister and I headed to the small town of West Jefferson, North Carolina to explore and shop local. For me, it was my first-time visiting the town and it definitely made a lasting impression.
Getting There
At around 9am on Black Friday, we hopped in my sister’s car and started out towards West Jefferson, NC. I would say that we made the choice to take back roads to get there but honestly, West Jefferson is tucked away in the mountains so any way you go, you’re basically taking a back road. That’s not a bad thing though, at least it wasn’t for us. We enjoy taking our time and love seeing what the back roads offer as we follow them along the curves of the mountains.
After about an hour, we started to see some real civilization. Soon, we found West Jefferson. I was instantly excited to walk around the downtown area and check out what this beautiful, little town had to offer. And what it offered has me already wanting to return for another visit.
The Shops
The very first store that we walked into was Martha Mae’s Emporium. We were greeted by a very warm fire burning in a large fire place. At that moment, I could have stayed there all morning since it was trying to snow outside! We soon found a coffee shop right inside the store and my sister and I both got a hot cocoa to warm us up a bit as we browsed the store.
There was so much to see in there! If you love boutique style clothing, accessories, and decor, then you have to check out Martha Mae’s Emporium in West Jefferson. While my sister and I were looking around the shop, I found a cute, grey beanie that I just fell in love with! My awesome sister ended up purchasing it for me as a late birthday present/early Christmas present.
If you follow any sort of online clothing store/boutique, then you’ve probably seen the CC beanies that I’m talking about. They have become a popular winter accessory. I ended up spotting them at so many of the local shops in West Jefferson through out the day. If you can’t find them in your area or have no idea what I’m even talking about though, you can check them out here. I put mine on right away since, since it was super cold out and it kept my head warm all day!
Photo Ops!
After Martha Mae’s, we walked down the street a little further. We came to the most adorable, little camper parked outside of Sister’s On Main, another adorable shop! Of course, I had to take some pictures with the camper. The set up was just too cute! Then we headed inside to check out the store. Again, the store was beautifully laid out and had gorgeous clothing and accessories to browse through.
After leaving Sister’s On Main, we continued down the street to check out the other local shops. Mountain Outfitters was our next stop. There, my sister and I both tried out the Tiki Toss Game they had set up in the back and my sister actually got the ring on the hook (the object of the game)! After that quick, fun game, we continued on with our day and visited other local shops like, ‘Tis The Season, Little Red Chair, Originals Only Gallery, Pretty ‘N Pearls, and Mo’s Boots.
Don’t Forget the Side Streets!
Down some of the side streets, we found some other amazing shops like The Honey Hole. This small shop that had the most amazing dips and honey! I was starting to get hungry by the time we found The Honey Hole so I may have had more than my fair share of samples there.
Ashe County Cheese was also on one of the side streets we walked down. On one side of the street, next to the giant cows (another photo op), you can enter into a small room and actually watch them make the cheese right in front of you! Walk across the street and they have their store where you can buy an endless variety of cheese (and wine).
We would have loved to have bought some of the Ashe County Cheese, however the store was very crowded. The line was also super long so we opted out of buying anything. Although the shops were crowded, in every shop we entered, we were continuously greeted by friendly, smiling faces. That made our day in West Jefferson so much more enjoyable.
Local Artwork
The charming, local stores were lots of fun to check out and shop at. They weren’t the only thing I noticed about West Jefferson, however. I immediately saw large wall murals painted on the outside of buildings all over the town, when we arrived and as we walked around. Each one I saw was so gorgeous! I took photos of just about every one of them that I could find.
Once I knew that there was artwork all over West Jefferson, I knew that somewhere, there was a wall mural of wings. I just had to find it so I could get that Instagram shot! I was right. Tucked away, on a side street behind the Old Hotel and right next to The Hotel Tavern was a small wall with a beautiful blue and white painting of wings. I got the Instagram shot.
Little touches like artwork, vintage campers, and friendly people are what made West Jefferson such an enjoyable, little town for me to explore.
Overall, I had a great experience shopping at local/small businesses on Black Friday in West Jefferson, NC. If you believe that Black Friday deals are just in big retail stores, I urge you to go out and shop local. They have sales too! Support your local/small businesses this Christmas season and all throughout the year. They have so much to offer and it means so much to them to feel supported.
And if you are ever in the far northwestern region of North Carolina, do yourself a favor and go check out West Jefferson.
Have you ever been to West Jefferson, North Carolina or does it remind you of another charming town you’ve visited? Let me know in the comments! I’d love to hear from you!
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