What better for book-lovers than literary works from some of Polk County’s own? LOCAL AUTHORS invite you to enjoy the stories – from Cracker Cowboys to Missionaries, War Heroes to Poets, Inspiration for Business to Inspiration for Life - and just about everything in between – there’s something for your avid reader.

At this year’s HOLIDAY FEST, Friday, December 10 from 6:00 – 9:00 PM, you can meet and greet local authors: Allen Hooker “My Friends and Heroes”, James Knox “Deadly Revenge” and Margaret Register “No Place for Plastic Saints – Earthquakes, Chicken Feet and Candid Confessions of a Missionary Wife”. Books will be available for sale at The General Store, or, if you already have a copy, you can still get them personalized.

A few “Basket Cases” to gift for? We have a LARGE collection of LONGABERGER baskets, from a personal collection, at a fraction of the original price. Picnic Baskets and Game Baskets, Casserole Baskets and Laundry Baskets – did I mention, we have baskets?!?!?!  Also LONGABERGER pottery!

NATURALLY PAMPERED brings locally created SOAPS, LOTIONS, OILS & LIP BALMS – all made with only natural ingredients – and no animal by-products! (they’d be GREAT to add to a BASKET!)

COUNTRY BEES HONEY FARM RAW HONEY, made by local bees, would be PERFECT for anyone looking for a more healthy lifestyle! Add a pound of YBOR CITY GOLD COFFEE and add a BASKET to complete the package!

CORPORATE LEASHES and TURTLES JEWELS feature the artwork of local bead artisans – wear those corporate badges with style (there’s probably a BASKET for them, too!)!

BOYD PRIDMORE brought some of his hand-crafted WALKING STICKS as well as his NAIL-SAVER KEY-KEEPERS down for you to see what can be made from local resources and a bit of shade tree engineering. He’s been eyeing the BASKETS to try and figure how to make some of those, too!

Searching for the elusive locally made handcrafts? We have SOCK MONKEYS, TEDDY BEARS, STICK HORSES and RUBBERBAND GUNS, and even ORNAMENTS and WREATHS!

We also feature Greeting Cards, Candies from “Back in the Day”, Some of  This and a Little of  That . . . you never know just WHAT you might find!

When you SHOP local, you SUPPORT local!

The Local Yokels Need YOU to Remain Local, too!