Christmas Shopping at Country Village in Bothell

Country Village, located just north of Seattle, in between Bothell and Mill Creek, is such an amazing place. It is an outdoor, farm style shopping mall (for lack of a better term.) Everything looks antiquated and very rustic (“shabby chic.”) You’ll see the giant red chicken statue hovering near the entrance, before you see the sprawling rows of barn like structures, flowers, and boardwalks. There are over 45 stores in Country Village, and each one is very unique. This is a great place for Christmas shopping, and not just because they decorate well during the holidays. There are plenty of gift choices, from antiques and unusual crafts to local wines. And the fresh air and the beautiful atmosphere will make your shopping pleasant instead of hectic. You cane probably find someone for anyone here (even the most uppity teenage girl can use the homemade soaps and candles – they smell amazing.)

My first trip to Country Village was to attend a wine testing with a friend at Country Cottage Wine Merchants. I’d never been there before, and was totally unprepared for the Little House on the Prairie Scene before my eyes. It is like stepping into another world – I was a little unsure at first, but as soon as I saw the roosters running around, I knew that I was in love. The wine store is one of the best you’ll find anywhere in Seattle. They have an amazingly selection of Washington wines, which are a great gift to send out of towners, as well as some decent organic wines. They also get a larger inventory around Christmastime, so you’ll want to check that out. They have wine tastings all the time, and the one that I went to was really fun.
The Country Village Farmer’s Market sells all the standard Christmas stock: trees, poinsettias, fresh wreaths, and treats. They also have some lovely flowers and produce. Products vary depending on who is selling, but if you can get some of the homemade honey, you’ll definitely want to do so. You can get a gift basket made at Basket Creations, which is perfect for Christmas, or any other occasion. If you’d like to buy some Christmas treats, there are two great candy stores (Candlelight Cottage, and Whitehouse Antique and Candy Shoppe.) And speaking of antiques, it you have a collector in the family, this is a great place to look. There are four nice antique stores in Country Village, as well as a few refinished and new furniture stores. Most of the furniture stores cater towards a kind of bohemian, shabby look, and they have some very cool stuff. The prices aren’t bad, either. There are a few galleries onsite that feature local artists- you can get nice, tasteful gifts at any of these.

You have to be careful to remember your audience- some of the things are a little too homemade looking to suit everyone. You are pretty safe with the beauty products, though. Most are organic and smell great. You’ll find some nice soaps made locally, as well as a huge array of candles. If you’d like to buy an educational gift for kids, there are is a great book store, a fun rubber stamp store, as well as the shop called Toys that Teach. There are also a few cute children’s clothing stores (warning- you probably won’t get away with getting your kids to wear some of the prints unless they are pretty young- some of the clothes are very “arts & crafts” looking. They are cute for babies and toddlers though.) If you bring the kids while you are shopping, make sure to let them take a train ride, which runs through the outdoor mall throughout the day. Also, the tiny center square sometimes has some great folk musicians – and yes, Santa Claus is there around the holidays. And everything is lit up, and very festive. If you know someone that lives in the area, you can buy a Country Village gift certificate for them, which can be used at any of the stores, including the restaurants.