Vinegar Hill features local shops and merchants as well as vendor markets

 

[November 23, 2021] 

The 32nd annual Christmas on Vinegar Hill was held this past Saturday. While the event is traditionally focused on vendor markets and retail sales in the Mount Pulaski area, over the years other communities have joined in to make the day a true Logan County shopping experience.

Included on the long list of shopping locations this year were markets in Chestnut, Elkhart, Lake Fork and Mount Pulaski.

In Mount Pulaski the historic Mount Pulaski Courthouse was open to visitors. Inside site manager Rene’ Martin and her volunteers greeted guests and invited them to take a quick tour of the courthouse, enjoy a warm beverage, then grab a map and head out for the best shopping experience imaginable.

In the downtown area, there were a number of merchants who had special sells going on and of course offered sweet treats for guests to enjoy as they shopped.

Visiting the merchants, Jules Flower Shop was offering 50 percent off all the merchandise in the store. Salt Creek Attic had a huge selection of hand crafted items for sale and shoppers were grabbing up lots of great items for their holiday decorating and gift giving.

In addition to merchants, the Hill Top Club had turned their meeting area into a vendor market for small businesses. Items inside included everything from handmade items to retail merchandise from home based businesses such as Pampered Chef.

The Mount Pulaski Township Historical and Genealogical Society was also open with a giant indoor rummage sale going on. Member Allen Schaal said that it had been a really busy morning for the society. He estimated that of all that was left for sale at noon, the collection of items was only about half as many as when they had begun the day.

All the items included in the society sale were donated by members and the community with all the proceeds going to the regular upkeep of the society center and museum.

Outside on the square, a familiar face was seen, drawing lots of attention. The Traveling Top Hat from Lincoln was set up and guests were enjoying warm treats as they walked about outside in the crisp, but not too cold day.
 

In addition to downtown merchants and organizations, there were vendor markets going on in Mount Pulaski at the schools and at the American Legion.

At the American Legion, business was steady but not too crowded over the noon hour. Shoppers were taking in all that was offered from the many vendors inside the Legion building.

Again, there were familiar faces, people from the Mount Pulaski area, and a few from Lincoln as well.

Phyllis Beccue was humming about the building helping to keep an eye on everyone and lending a helpful hand as needed. Beccue is one owner of the Salt Creek Attic. She said her counterparts were more than capable of taking care of the store, so she had come to the Legion to help out there.

Other familiar faces included those of Bob and Cindy Dunovsky from Lincoln. The two make beautiful items from wood and resin in Bob’s Woodshop.

Bob said that they had lucked out because they were originally assigned to share one regular sized slot in the Legion. Then at the last minute, they were told that there had been one cancellation, so the Dunovsky’s could double their space if they wanted. Bob said that they were happy they had that opportunity because their sales had been terrific.

Outside at the Legion, the Mount Pulaski Boy Scout Troop was busy at the grill as the lunch hour approached. The group was selling fresh hot sandwiches for a grab and go lunch.

In Elkhart, three downtown merchants took advantage of the Vinegar Hill weekend to host special open houses at each of their stores.
 

Birdsong was busy with shoppers there to pick up something vintage to offer as a gift this year, or incorporate into their old time Christmas décor. The shop offers everything vintage from décor to clothing, jewelry, vintage games and toys, Christmas decorations and a huge selection of gently used books. Shoppers were very much enjoying the opportunity to take in all the shop had to offer.

Just down the street, the Country Bumpkin was greeting guests with warm cider and cookies. The beautifully decorated store filled with antiques and some primitives was a delight to take in.

Across the street, Horsefeathers and the Wild Hare Café’ were very busy. The two in one shop and dine establishment was bustling as folks stopped in to shop and also enjoy a late morning snack or early lunch. Owners Peter and Andrea Niehaus were busy. Andrea was working throughout the store, greeting customers and assisting them in finding specific items. Peter was keeping a large table filled with cookies and cinnamon rolls that everyone could enjoy along with a warm beverage.

Horsefeathers offers so much to see and buy. From art to floral arrangements to vintage jewelry to antique dishes and collectibles, and Amish made foods, the shop is a great place to visit any time of the year.

While the crux of the Vinegar Hill shopping day has always been the vendor markets, seeing merchants in Mount Pulaski and other communities get involved is a good thing too. While the weekend is over, the offerings at these amazing shops is still available. If you missed Vinegar Hill, don’t be dismayed, the shops in Mount Pulaski and Elkhart still have plenty of inventories and are anxious to serve you with all your shopping needs.

[Nila Smith]