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 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.”
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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]
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