Sparks Bristol have been busy decorating their ‘department store with a difference’ to welcome you through the doors this winter and discover easy, ethical ways to spend the festive season without costing the earth. Step into Sparks to shop, create and celebrate!
Shop with a difference
Discover unique gifts with heart in the Department of Gifts in Sparks Bristol, featuring The Ethical Gift Shop, Good Things at Christmas, The People’s Republic Of Stokes Croft and Culla Collective. Sparks also hosts a dozen vintage clothing shops with items hand picked for quality and style. As well as making your loved ones feel special with gifts you won’t find anywhere else, shopping local at Sparks means putting your hard earned money back into your community and supporting Bristol’s independent businesses, artists and makers.
“A great collection of independent traders selling unique gifts and repurposed products, sustainable, ethical and local - little treasure trove! Did some of my Christmas shopping here… go check it out” - Elise Unger, Sparks visitor.
If you’re like us and the darker nights make you want to curl up with a good book, you can grab a bargain from Emmaus at their secondhand charity shop or discover bestsellers from underrepresented women and non-binary authors authors at Aphra Bookstore. On Friday 24 November, pop into Sparks for the Festival of Books and Stories to discover a host of book sellers, storytellers and makers. And every Wednesday, the Little Sparks Storytelling Workshop invites youngsters and their carers to enjoy stories and learn storytelling skills.
Create with a difference
Struggling to think of gift ideas for someone special, or someone who already has everything?! You can try your hand at creating a unique handmade gift. From tasty treats to Christmas wreaths, Sparks have a huge range of festive workshops throughout November and December where you can get together with friends and have fun getting crafty.
Sparks also offers a range of services to help you repair damaged clothes, electricals, bikes and more, and give your well-loved items a new lease of life. Have you been pulling out your winter clothes and finding they need a bit of care or repair (clothes moths anyone!?)? Re-thrindle is here to help with their popular weekly clothing repair workshops including; knit repair, basic mending skills and colourful sashiko. Electrical items can also be repaired and reworked at the Repair cafe every Sunday where you can learn new skills and save money. The cyclists among you may want to consider getting your bike winter safe at the fortnightly Dr Bike drop-in sessions when a mechanic will be on hand to carry out bike maintenance checks, free of charge.
Celebrate with a difference
Winter can be a joyful time to be with friends and family. This year, you can spread sparks of joy by giving back to those in need. Just drop a gift into the Sparks Bristol Giving Grotto, in partnership with Aid Box, and the team of Sparklers will make sure it goes to a good cause.
Extend some festive love to the planet by making simple actions for a more sustainable holiday season. Christmas trees can be rented then re-planted once the tinsel and baubles have been packed away. Consider asking people what present they’d like or having a secondhand secret santa gift circle to reduce waste and avoid presents ending up on ebay or worse, in the bin. Buying the gift of an experience also avoids potential landfill. Ticket sales for local events and gigs bought on Headfirst help raise money for community causes, so far this year they’ve raised over £45,000.
Sparks is now open 7 days a week, closing on Christmas and Boxing Day.
Find out more here: sparksbristol.co.uk/step-into-sparks
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