Phoenix has all the shops to be expected in a large American city, along with some of the finest traditional Native American items.
In Phoenix you can find numerous large shopping malls, so if you want the modern American shopping experience then you’re in the best place in the whole of Arizona. If you take in neighboring and more upscale Scottsdale too, then you’re in a shopper’s paradise.
The Heard Museum
If you want distinctive work from the South-West, which you can find nowhere else, then head straight for the shop at the Heard Museum. The Heard Museum has one of the finest collections of Native American arts and crafts in the world, and in its store you’ll find a large and exciting array of items for sale. The Heard Museum has built up good relations with the best local artists and artisans, and as such is able to obtain some of the very best objects to sell in its shop. You’ll find many marvelous baskets and other woven items, from the tiniest to the largest, and the jewelry and ceramics it also sells are superb. You can buy many smaller gifts too, and craft kits to enable you to try to make some of the items yourself.
Drumbeat Indian Arts
There are many other outlets for Native American arts and crafts, with one of the best specialist stores being Drumbeat Indian Arts. This shop does sell craft items, including individual objects like beads and feathers, as well as blankets, books, bandanas, shells, and porcupine quills. The shops is, however, most noted for its collection of Native American music, including DVDs as well as CDs. There is music recorded at sacred ceremonies and haunting ethereal sounds through to the modern sounds of Native American rock ‘n’ roll bands.
Mercado Mexico
If it’s Mexican culture that you’re interested in then drive out to the suburb of Guadalupe where you’ll find the Mercado Mexico. It’s one of the best shops around Phoenix for selling the vivid and colorful Mexican ceramics at fair prices. It’s a family-run business that has been here for over 30 years, and as well as home and garden items they sell paintings, craft items, religious items, weavings, and many other authentic Mexican souvenirs.
Camelback Market
It’s also worth checking out the Camelback Market, which is held every Saturday morning from October to May in the parking lot of the Vincent on Camelback Restaurant. This is where local food suppliers come to sell their produce, so it’s a great opportunity to buy those local spices and sauces which give Mexican and South-Western food its flavor. And even if you take nothing home with you, there are plenty of opportunities to taste things while you’re there!
OUR PICK OF THE GUIDES
From that blues bar you haven’t visited yet to the desert hike you keep meaning to plan, experience something new right here at home with Moon 52 Things to Do in Phoenix & Tucson.
- Cool things to do in and around the cities: Kick back at a Spring Training game or squeeze into the grandstands of El Gran Mercado for some lucha libre. Bike the famed Loop in Tucson, kayak Tempe Town Lake, and lace up your boots for an urban hike in the Phoenix Mountains. Support local BIPOC writers at Palabras Bilingual Bookstore and taste what’s on tap at a women-owned brewery. Savor Sonoran-style food like tamales and carne asada or try authentic Tohono O’odham fry bread.
