Where to Shop at Smith Mountain Lake

            Visiting Smith Mountain Lake wouldn’t be complete without an afternoon of browsing its charming shops. SML’s lakeside plazas and convenient business forums boast quaint and original retail outlets that can’t be found anywhere else.

            Shopping opportunities at Smith mountain lake include art galleries, jewelry stores, gift and souvenir shops, home interior decor, clothing boutiques and sporting goods.

            Vicki Seekford, owner of The General Store, said she and partner Rita Grisetti enjoy catering to locals as well as tourists.

            “We have a lot of made-in-Virginia products, Smith Mountain Lake souvenir items, books by local authors and snacks, jams, jellies made by locals,” she said. “We like to promote our community as much as possible.”

Seekford said their customers become like family.

            “We have the same people coming back every year,” she said. “They say it’s not a trip to the lake without stopping at the store.”

            Smith Mountain Mercantile is one of several recently opened stores conveniently located between the lake and surrounding business hubs. Owner Dennis Light sells home entertainment items such as poker tables, slot machines and bar accessories, along with seasonal décor items and gifts.

            In addition to stand-alone retail outlets, the SML community has several commercial centers brimming with places to shop. Bridgewater Plaza, equipped with a wide variety of shops, caters to tourists and full-time residents. Wake N Skate Board Shop, Gifts Ahoy, Bridgewater Sportswear and The Little Gallery (original art, artisan-made jewelry, pottery, wood and sculpture) are some of the most established outlets at SML.

            Westlake Corner is booming commercially with Davidson’s (men’s resort wear), The Cottage Gate (seasonal gifts, home decor and clothing),VitaZen (mind and body nutritional supplements) and Haywood’s Jewelers all located at Westlake Towne Center.

            During the warm weather seasons, local vendors populate the Westlake Farmer’s Market and other forums with home-grown produce, canned goods and quality crafts. Adjacent to Westlake Towne Center, the Farmer’s Market operates April through October on Saturday mornings from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Smith Mountain Lake offers an abundance of shopping opportunities that will give you plenty to remember it by when you return home.