Articles by PA Wilds Marketplace

Whether Dad lives in the PA Wilds or it’s one of his favorite places to visit, give him a unique gift that shows his appreciation for the Pennsylvania Wilds! Check out these suggestions for fathers of all varieties.

Keep it clean! A luxurious bar of soap can be a practical yet thoughtful gift for a friend, family member, significant other, teacher, coworker or even as just a "have on hand" gift for those unexpected last-minute gift-giving occasions. Or why not treat yourself to a high-quality soap to make washing your hands just like a day at the spa? Check out these lovely soaps that are created in the PA Wilds!

May 11-18, 2025 is National "I Love My State Parks Week," a time to appreciate our most cherished places - our state parks! This week is meant to increase visibility of state parks by sharing their stories, benefits, and how to access them in order to connect with the public to share their memories, stories, and photos and to bring to new visitors to the region.

Whether you’re searching for gifts for a child’s elementary teacher, high school teacher, band director, art teacher or math tutor, the best gift is one that comes from the heart. A locally made gift for a teacher (including these gifts made in the PA Wilds) is more unique than one that comes from a big box store. Your handcrafted gift will stand out and show how much you care.

Whether Mom lives in the PA Wilds or it’s one of her favorite places to visit, give her a unique gift that shows her appreciation for the Pennsylvania Wilds! These gifts are straight from the heart, and they also support local artisans who live here in the PA Wilds. Give Mom something she can treasure with these sweet gifts.

When it comes to making eco-conscious decisions about producing products, there are many benefits to finding ingredients straight from the soil. Natural ingredients from the garden can be beneficial for your health, but also for the environment. Finding ingredients from your own garden instead of purchasing ingredients that will need to be packaged and transported helps minimize carbon emissions. 

Jabebo is a company owned by Kevin and Mary Abbott in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania with a unique medium for creating earrings. Starting back in the 1990’s, they began playing around with the idea of mismatched earrings with colorful images.  It didn’t take long until they landed on the use of cereal box paperboard as the obvious choice since they were creating the earrings with paper. The inspiration for the business is biodiversity and the natural habitat and community that supports it, particularly through public lands where you and your family and friends can experience it.

Proudly made in the PA Wilds, our products celebrate the beauty, bounty and rural traditions of our region. Although buying these products can be a real game-changer for the rural economy, it also benefits our environment! Learn how buying from the PA Wilds Marketplace can help take care of our planet.

There is something extra special about purchasing, giving, or receiving a gift that is handmade. In a world that is mass produced, the time, skill, and dedication it takes to create a product by hand sets it apart from the rest. Buying handmade also helps support and celebrate the artists who work hard to bring something new into the world.