Mothers Day Downtown ~ A Guide to Gifts and Dining (2024)

Mother’s Day is coming up this Sunday, May 8, and downtown businesses provide plenty of simple gestures and small gifts that you can send to your mother or the motherly person in your life to show your love and appreciation for her in a safe and socially distant way.

Here are a few gift ideas to consider gifting to the special caregiver in your life on Mother’s Day:

Bouquet of flowers from Bool’s

It is lovely to receive flowers at any time during the year, but especially now for Mother’s Day. Instantly brighten your mom’s home with a fresh and vibrant bouquet from a local reliable institution,

Bool’s Flower Shop. This local floral shop is providing curbside pickups. Call them to place an order. Call 607-272-8410.

Takeout or gift cards from your mom’s favorite downtown restaurants

Whether or not the mom in your life likes to cook, it is sometimes fun to change it up with some take-out from her favorite local restaurant! You can find a listing of many takeout and delivery options available at downtownithaca.com (under the Dining tab). Gift cards for dining are also a nice gift, too, since they can be used at a later time.

Coltivare is planning a Mother’s Day brunch spread from 10 am-4 pm on Sunday, May 8 with an omelet station, Creole potato hash, smoked salmon, smoked chicken salad, bacon, and maple glazed sausage, spinach and strawberry salad, sliced beef tenderloin, and more. The meal is $45 per person, $7 for kids under 12, and reservations are available on OpenTable.

Hotel Ithaca has a Mother’s Day sit-down dinner from 11:30-5:30 for $35 per adult, $12 for children 5-12, and free for children under 5. The menu features a Caprese avocado spinach salad, slow-roasted prime rib, crab-stuffed shrimp, roasted fingerling potatoes, and grilled asparagus. Call 607-272-1000 for reservations.

The Ithaca Ale House will be open for brunch and dinner with some Mother’s Day specials.

Treat your mother to brunch at Monks! Open Mother’s Day from 7 AM- 4 PM (last seating at 3 PM). It will be closed at 4 PM for the rest of the evening. Reservations are encouraged! Make your reservation today through Open Table or call us at 607-272-2222 Ext.6654.

Self-care products and treatments

Perhaps your mom could use some self-care during this time in physical isolation? It is easy to help her feel good about herself with the help of trusted downtown favorites like Home Green Home, Alta Spa, Bramble, and Cayuga Nail Spa offer some fantastic skincare and other beauty products that will make your mother feel fabulous. Shopping online for your convenience is offered at all these establishments and most have special collections that are perfect for Mother’s Day!

Handcrafted Apparel or Wearable Art

Your mom will love receiving one-of-kind gifts such as stylish handcrafted jewelry, pottery, ceramics, stylish silk scarves, handbags, and more from 15 STEPS, Handwork, Ithacamade, Sunny Days, One World Market, and American Crafts by Robbie Dein.

Treat her to her favorite beverages

Does your mom enjoy sipping on glasses of wine, ciders, or craft brews? Or, if she doesn’t drink alcohol, how about fresh cups of coffee? Well, then, we have a couple of perfect gift ideas for her available at Cellar d’Or, Lucky Hare Brewing Company, Press Cafe, and Alley Cat Cafe.

Cellar d’Or offers truly artisanal wines & ciders, from off-the-beaten-path regions and producers that you will never see in other large, nationally advertised monthly clubs. Each selection comes with a well-written, extremely educational write-up on the wine or cider. Any wine or cider in the club is one that they will drink themselves and are proud to have in its shop.

Lucky Hare Brewing Company sells a grand selection of locally crafted brews. Mom can try their gold-winning Falcon Punch. Additional brew options are available at www.luckyharebrewing.com/beers.

Gift Card to Her Favorite Boutique

Help your mom dress in eye-catching wears for her next Zoom or Facetime chat by purchasing gift cards to Breathe and Petrune. At these shops, mom is sure to find stunning classic and modern outfits that will make her the most fashionable among her family and friends.

Movie Night with Mom (or the whole family)

We all know how much fun it is to grab the fam and head to the movies. You can find the film selection at cinemapolis.org. Don’t see any current movies on the list that will strike your mom’s fancy? Then, buy her a Cinemapolis membership that she can use to choose a movie when the theater reopens.

Cards and Candy

If you prefer to go a more traditional route, a sentimental or funny greeting card and chocolates are the perfect way to go. You can find an incredible selection of greeting cards at Mockingbird Paperie and 15 STEPS sells tasty, gourmet chocolates. To find a complete list of gift shops in Downtown Ithaca, click here.

A Downtown Ithaca Gift Card

Can’t decide what gift to get mom? The Downtown Ithaca Gift Card is a great choice for those who are hard to shop for. This gift card is redeemable at more than 100 downtown shops and restaurants. You can purchase a gift card from $11 – $500 so it’s an affordable gift for any budget! Shop for downtown’s gift card at downtowntownithaca.com.

For additional shopping opportunities, visit our shopping directory.

MOTHER’S DAY EVENTS:

Inaugural Plant Sale at Press Bay

May, 5, 2022
2pm-5pm
Press Bay Court, 110 W Green St, Ithaca, NY 14850

Come support the ONLY Indigenous (Taino) farming organization in the region!

As matrilineal people, we honor the mothers, grandmothers, and great-grandmothers of our lineages. Each of us is born of our mother and everything is born of Mother Earth. It is through this understanding that we are taught to walk through life with respect, integrity, and compassion.

Our plant relatives’ original instructions are to care for us, and at TCIKH, we honor our relationship with the plant world. Motherwort and Lemonbalm are two supportive plants that we have stewarded throughout the years and are able to share with our community this year.