Westchester’s holiday shopping season hits way harder when you skip the malls and big-box stores and support the people who actually make this county special: the makers, the collectors, the creatives, and the business owners who pour their lives into what they do.

If you want gifts with personality and heart this year, here are five incredible Westchester small businesses to support. Each one is unique, local, and packed with holiday magic.

1. Cozy Coven – Sleepy Hollow

If magic, comfort, and intentional gifting had a storefront, it would be Cozy Coven.

Located in Sleepy Hollow, this shop blends mystical energy with warm, cozy aesthetic. It is part witchy boutique, part spiritual supply shop, part “I am absolutely buying something for myself while I am here.”

Perfect gifts here:

• Hand-poured candles

• Crystals, minerals and intention pieces

• Smudge sticks, incense and aromatherapy

• Tarot cards

• Journals and self-care items

• Seasonal witchy and mystical holiday gifts

  
  

A great spot for anyone who loves cottagecore vibes, spiritual grounding, or just a beautifully curated space.

Check out their site: https://shopcozycoven.com/

2. Den of Wax – Ossining

A record store for people who truly love music.

Den of Wax calls themselves “purveyors of audible art,” and the second you walk in, you get why. This is not your typical vinyl shop. It is a highly curated collection built with passion, creativity, and deep musical knowledge.

What you will find:

• Intricate packaging

• Long sold-out variants

• Hard-to-find overseas pressings

• Cross-genre, emerging and edgy artists

• Deluxe editions and collector items

• The infamous Melt My Face heavy-music collection

  
  

Their team works directly with bands, labels and distributors, making this the spot to get something truly special for the vinyl lover in your life.

Perfect gifts here:

• Rare vinyl

• Limited variants

• Collector editions

• Giftable LPs for new vinyl fans

• Heavy music bundles

  
  

If your holiday includes putting on a record and slowing down, this place needs to be on your list.

Check out their site: https://www.denofwax.com/

3. Vanishing Ink Books – Hastings-on-Hudson

Some bookstores sell books. Vanishing Ink sells ideas, conversations, and community.

Founded by journalist and author Allyson McCabe, whose work you have seen on NPR, in The New York Times, BBC Culture and more, this shop has a deeper purpose.

When Allyson released Why Sinéad O’Connor Matters in 2023, she spent her time discussing everything Sinéad stood for: truth-telling, justice, speaking out against abuse, racism, sexism and inequality. Her passing ignited Allyson’s desire to create a home for those conversations right here in Westchester.

That home became Vanishing Ink.A bookstore built to stand against banned books, shrinking local journalism, censored curricula, and disappearing independent media.

Perfect gifts here:

• Staff-curated new releases

• Thought-provoking nonfiction

• Local authors

• Kids’ books

• Journals, cards and literary gifts

If you want a meaningful gift that lasts longer than the holidays, this is where you find it.

Check out their site: https://www.vanishinginkbooks.com/

4. Aw Yeah Comics – Harrison

Pure joy in comic shop form.

Founded by Franco Aureliani, Art Baltazar and Marc Hammond, Aw Yeah Comics is upbeat, welcoming, family-friendly and just straight-up fun. Their mission is simple: celebrate everything wonderful about comics, art, storytelling and the joy they bring.

What makes this place incredible:

• A huge New Comic Wall

• Back Issue Bins for collectors

• Graphic novels of every genre

• A massive all-ages section

• Staff who help you discover your next obsession

• Bright, positive vibes that make it impossible not to smile

  
  

Kids are a major focus here. If you have been trying to get your kids into reading, this shop is your golden ticket.

Aw Yeah Comics is also a community hub with:

• Creator signings

• Live-drawing events

• Board game nights

• Art swaps

• Theme parties

• Industry legends visiting regularly

  
  

Perfect gifts here:

• Comics and graphic novels

• Toys, figurines and collectibles

• Pokémon cards

• Retro items

• Stocking stuffers

There is something here for every age, every fandom and every level of nerdiness.

Check out their site: https://www.awyeahcomics.com/

5. Lola Craft Co – Elmsford (and online)

Warm, intentional, and hand-poured with love.

Lola Craft Co is your go-to destination for candles, diffusers, wax melts and custom-crafted gifts. Everything is made thoughtfully, in small batches, with clean, toxin-free ingredients.

This is gifting with purpose.

What makes Lola Craft Co special:

• Clean coconut-soy wax

• Phthalate-free, paraben-free, alcohol-free fragrances

• Vegan and cruelty-free

• Safe for kids, adults and pets

• Personalized and custom candle options

• Curated gift sets

• Beautiful packaging

• “I didn’t know I needed this” vibes

Everything is crafted with intention and care. The perfect match for holiday gifting.

Perfect gifts here:

• Clean-burning candles

• Room and linen mists

• Luxe diffusers

• Seasonal wax melts

• Personalized candle labels

• Cozy and thoughtful gift bundles

  
  

If you are shopping for someone who loves a cozy home, or someone who deserves one, this is your spot.

Check out their site: https://lolacraftco.com/

Final Word

When you shop local, your money stays in Westchester. It supports real people, real artists and real community.

These five shops are some of the best our county has to offer. Whether you are grabbing a book, a record, a cozy candle, a comic or a mystical gift, shopping small this season makes a huge impact.

If you want even more local deals, perks and Westchester business features each month, check out The 914 All Access Club. Your first month is free.

Here is to a holiday season that feels warm, intentional and totally Westchester.