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While there are far more than 10 top places to shop in Virginia, the state is home to unique shops whose merchandise is strictly made or grown in Virginia. Located in Harrisonburg, Virginia near the campus of James Madison University, is ‘All Things Virgin1a’. Visitors to this shop will find everything from soup to nuts including arts and crafts items gathered from original production facilities across the state. Among many featured items are themed gift and holiday baskets.

Located about a 1-hour drive from the nation’s capital is Monastery Bakery At Holy Cross Abbey in Berryville. A large portion of each weekday is spent by monks of the Cistercian Order of Strict Observance, Trappists, to provide for the daily needs of the abbey through the meticulous production of fruitcakes and naturally-gathered honey. One outstanding product made by the monks is ‘fratters’ which are chocolate covered fruitcake slices.

In the Tidewater area of Virginia, the Peanut Kids Company Store/Producer’s Peanut Company Inc., in business since 1924 offers salted/unsalted peanuts, peanut candies and all-natural peanut butter. Virginia is one of the leading producers of peanuts in the nation.

As one of the largest agricultural states in the nation, Virginia is known for the production of hams which are shipped across the country and to international markets. Old Virginia Ham Shop in Smithfield continues the tradition of curing hams which were one of the first products to be exported from North America 300 years ago. The two types of Virginia Hams are country, cured by using salt and pepper only and Sweet or Sugar hams cured with natural sugar. All hams are smoked using hickory bark and must be aged or hung for a specified amount of time. Virginia law requires all cure masters to be registered and follow very strict curing methods.