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We’re on the hunt for Kansas City’s best local gifts under $30 — and we need your help

Plaza Lightbulb ornaments allow Kansas Citians to hang a real Country Club Plaza holiday lightbulb on their own tree. The ornaments are available at Made in Kansas City, a marketplace for locally made goods with ten locations around the metro.
Plaza Lightbulb ornaments allow Kansas Citians to hang a real Country Club Plaza holiday lightbulb on their own tree. The ornaments are available at Made in Kansas City, a marketplace for locally made goods with ten locations around the metro. Made in KC

With Thanksgiving as late as it is in 2024, Kansas City shoppers may be feeling antsy to start buying presents for the holidays.

The myriad of local small businesses in the metro should make the task of finding great gifts easy — but it can also feel overwhelming to wade through so many options. That’s where our readers come in.

The Star is taking a slightly new approach to its holiday gift guide this year. We’re specifically looking for recommendations of gifts from local Kansas City businesses that come in under the $30 mark.

All types of gifts are fair game, whether they’re tickets to a local event, food and treats, wearables, home goods, self care products or something unexpected. The only rule (aside from the price limit) is that the gift must be unique to a Kansas City business or maker — no big box store items that you could find anywhere in the country.

Have something you want to recommend? Fill out the form below or email the author of this article at nwallington@kcstar.com by Wednesday, Nov. 27 — that’s the day before Thanksgiving.

We’ll have a gift guide ready to go in early December for all your shopping needs.

Feel free to submit as many nominations as you’d like, but please stick to one gift recommendation per business — we want to showcase as many local shops and makers as possible. If you can’t see the form below, click here to access it directly.

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Natalie Wallington
The Kansas City Star
Natalie Wallington was a reporter on The Star’s service journalism team with a focus on policy, labor, sustainability and local utilities from fall 2021 until early 2025. Her coverage of the region’s recycling system won a 2024 Feature Writing award from the Kansas Press Association.
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