There’s a version of the holidays that doesn’t involve fighting for a parking spot outside a big-box store. Downtown Aurora and Downtown Lawrenceburg turn into exactly that this time of year — walkable Main Streets lined with locally owned shops, warm restaurants, and storefronts worth slowing down for.
Here’s how to spend a weekend doing your holiday shopping the Southeast Indiana way — on foot, at your own pace, with dinner waiting at the end of each day.
Book your room at the NEW Home2 Suites in Lawrenceburg/Greendale or DoubleTree by Hilton Lawrenceburg — most of Day 1 is walking distance from the lobby.
Day 1: Downtown Lawrenceburg, On Foot
Check in, then spend the afternoon walking Lawrenceburg’s historic district. Start at Huntington Carriage House Antique & Gift Mart, a 45-vendor carriage house downtown, for gift-hunting with a wider selection than any single boutique can offer. Walnut Street is the corridor to keep browsing — duck into Back Alley Mercantile for the kind of find you weren’t expecting, and stop and watch a woodworker actually build what he sells at J. Busse Woodworking.
When the shopping bags get heavy, warm up with dinner at Giulietta’s Italian Ristorante, tucked inside a restored 1884 building on Short Street, or Noce Italian American Kitchen & Bar, right off the DoubleTree lobby if you’d rather not go back out into the cold.
Day 2: Aurora’s Boutiques and a Slower Pace
Start the morning with coffee at Spire Book & Coffee Co. on Third Street — plan on browsing the bookshop longer than you meant to. From there, walk Aurora’s Second Street: hand-poured bath products at Lucky Feather Soapery, timeless antiques, vintage decor, classic video games, toys, and books at Jarvis & Co. Emporium, and more specialty shops along the way. If anyone in the group needs a break from shopping, Weber Sports houses a free vintage bike museum with over 100 bikes on display — worth a detour even if nobody’s renting a bike this time of year.
Close out the weekend with dinner at Third & Main — a historic riverfront building, a thoughtful wine list, and the kind of steak dinner that makes a good excuse to linger before the drive home.
Why Come Here for the Holidays
Every shop on this list is independently run by someone who’s genuinely proud of what’s on the shelves — no chains, no mall sameness, and a genuine chance you’ll find something nobody else is giving this year. Pair a weekend of Main Street shopping with a night at the DoubleTree and you’ve got a holiday trip that feels like an occasion instead of an errand. Plan your stay and browse the full shopping and dining guides at VisitSoutheastIndiana.com.