A chilly Christmas on Vinegar Hill brings out a big crowd

 

[November 21, 2022] 

“This really gets you in the Christmas spirit and just makes you feel better.” - Darlene Aper of Lincoln

Mount Pulaski hosted the 33rd Annual Christmas on Vinegar Hill Saturday, November 19, 2022 and it’s the one time of the year in the small hilltop town when the streets are crowded with traffic. Folks flock to the community with plans of shopping for holiday gifts at the over 125 craft vendors that are located all over Mount Pulaski and surrounding small towns. There were over 30 different locations for visitors to stop at that also included Chestnut, Lake Fork and Elkhart. The day offers an early opportunity for people to not only take home handmade crafts and Christmas gifts, but also to shop for candy and baked goods just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Shoppers enjoy offerings at the American legion in Mount Pulaski

The Mount Pulaski Historical Society and Museum was also a great place to shop for gently used items donated to the society.

The Mount Pulaski Grade School and High School were also popular stops with all kinds of items for holiday shopping including food items suitable for use for the Thanksgiving feasts.

This year eager holiday shoppers lined up before 8:00 am to enter the doors of the American Legion Home, Mount Pulaski Grade School, Mount Pulaski High School and the Mount Pulaski Historical Society and Museum in an attempt to get a jump start on the huge crowd that would quickly follow.

A steady flow of traffic filled the town all day as visitors from all over Illinois also visited the various homes that were open. All you had to do was drive around town and look for the Christmas tree-shaped signs that displayed a number that corresponded with the brochure and you could easily identify a participating location. Aside from handmade craft vendors, visitors could shop for various Christmas decorations, clothing, furniture, jewelry, antiques, books and even fresh cut Christmas arrangements, among other unique items.

There were also plenty of food options to choose from throughout town.

Visitors from far and wide across Illinois spent the day and one out-of-towner, Darlene Aper of Lincoln, was overheard saying, “This really gets you in the Christmas spirit and just makes you feel better.”

Adding to the Christmas spirit was the frigid temperature that could be felt on the square in Mount Pulaski, prompting one local resident, Jeff Anderson, to say, “It’s a windy and cold day on the hilltop.”

The feel-like temperature was just less than 20 degrees with the wind chill around noon on the town square as the food truck, Cheesed OUT, served up delicious hot food and the Traveling Top Hat Creamery served hot cocoa and ice cream across the way. In the background was the Mount Pulaski Courthouse State Historic Site, which also served up hot cocoa and a coffee bar.

Despite the cold, the crowds kept coming all day long and many vendors, who also traveled from out of town, said they had an excellent day for sales.

The organizers of this event really put a lot of hard work in to make the day a success. Planning the event and getting the vendors takes up a great deal of time in advance but the day of Christmas on Vinegar Hill is also a busy and hectic day. Students at Mount Pulaski High School always pitch in to assist the vendors with a lot of the heavy work, setting up and tearing down the displays.

At the end of the day on Saturday folks looked exhausted, especially first-time t-shirt maker Donna Dulle, who might be giving up her lucrative Cricket career. But on another note, Dulle enjoyed visiting with the many shoppers who stopped by her booth.

In fact, the day was filled with smiles and conversation and some people meeting each other for the first time. And after hearing such a positive response from vendors and patrons alike, it is a sure bet that the 34th Annual Christmas on Vinegar Hill will be an event that will bring people together again.

Mark your calendar for Saturday, November 18, 2023. If it’s easier, just remember this annual event is always the Saturday before Thanksgiving. We look forward to seeing you in our community in 2023.

Happy Holidays!

[Teena Lowery]