ROCKFORD — Christmas is only three days away, but not everyone has all their shopping done.
Luckily, several local businesses have an array of Rockford-inspired gifts available for quick purchase. Some of these items are unique to the Forest City, and some represent Rockford's place in history or pop culture.
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Here are some last-minute gift ideas for your favorite Rockfordian.
The 815 is large area code that includes DeKalb, Crystal Lake and Woodstock, but Rockford is the flagship when it comes to branded apparel. 815 T-shirts, hats, hoodies, jackets, even baby clothes, can be found at several local shops, but the biggest selection is at Rockford Art Deli, 402 E. State St., downtown.
Few things say Merry Christmas like swag honoring Rockford’s favorite rock ‘n’ rollers. While the band’s merch can be found at their official store, Rockford’s Culture Shock, 2239 Charles St., always has a selection of Cheap Trick apparel, vinyl, CDs, and other novelties donning Rick Nielsen’s signature black and white checkerboard.
Rockford is in a league of its own when it comes to the Peaches. The team was kind of a big deal in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League and became even more cemented in sports history in 1992 when Tom Hanks declared that there’s “no crying in baseball.”
There may not be crying, but there’s plenty of Peaches gear to go around. Pick up the famous apparel, stickers, jerseys, and more at places like Culture Shock, Rockford Art Deli and the Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau’s Rockford Store, 102 N. Main St.
For official merchandise sanctioned by the International Women's Baseball Center, shop the SPoRT Makeup collection at Crimson Ridge. The store has everything from T-shirts and sweatshirts to baby onesies and outerwear.
The holiday season is a popular one for Rockford’s unofficial mascot. Sock Monkeys have been flying of the shelves of local retailers ever since the old Nelson Knitting Company first mass produced them in the 1950s at their South Main Street factory.
Today, the sock monkey is the face of the “Made in Rockford” movement, making anything bearing its image perfect gifts and stocking stuffers.
Sock monkey dolls are usually stocked at local stores, but supplies may be limited. Your best bet to get one before Christmas is to check out the Midway Village Museum Gift Shop, where a team is handmaking them to keep up with holiday demand. Midway Village is at 6799 Guilford Road.
If you’ve ever eaten potato chips in Rockford, chances are you’ve tasted Mrs. Fisher’s. They’re in every store in the region so getting your hands on a bag isn’t terribly difficult. But if you’re looking to buy for someone who loves a mouth-watering snack, the company sells holiday gift boxes filled with chips and specialty popcorn in their retail store at 1231 Fulton Ave. The store also features Mrs. Fisher’s apparel.
The Golden Apple Foundation of Rockford has partnered with City Tins this year to help locals buy for the foodies on their shopping list. Each attractive Rockford City Tin contains $5 and $10 coupons for 19 local restaurants — a $210 value.
Tins are $30 and are available at Roxy Carmichael Boutique, 310 N. Alpine Road, and Porch, 3065 N. Perryville Road. Golden Apple Foundation members are also selling them.
Participating restaurants include Alchemy at Aldeen, Alvarez Restaurant, Baci's Kitchen, Backyard Grill, Fiesta Cancun, Fozzy's, Franchesco's Ristorante, Greenfire, House of India, Jax Pub, Joe's Casa Di Amici, Josef Barbados, Oscar's Pub & Grill, The Pomodoro, RBI's, Rascals, Rock-Pho'd, Sam's Ristorante, and Sisters Thai Café.
Another staple on Rockford’s snack menu, Ole Salty’s kettle-cooked chips can make perfect Christmas gifts. The Ole Salty’s retail outlet at 1920 E. Riverside Blvd., Loves Park, offers classic gift baskets that include chips and specialty popcorn, 3-pound buckets of chips, and its popular Dry Rub seasoning.