Celebrating the holidays on Main Street

The annual Williamsburg Christmas Train walk was bustling with activity Dec. 6 as adults, children, babies in strollers, folks in wheelchairs, and pets took in the sights and sounds of Christmas on Main Street in downtown Williamsburg.

The local merchants opened their doors all up and down the street to all the visitors, offering treats along the way. Hot chocolate, cookies, popcorn, donuts and more were doled out to the enthusiastic crowd.

Folks greeted each other by name as they entered the various establishments. I expected to see Andy and Barney at the local police station, leading Otis to his jail cell, and Aunt Bea and Opie taking a ride on the fire truck. The fire truck was packed as visitors hopped aboard experiencing the thrill of going to put out a fire, sans the siren and Indy 500 speed.

The village of Williamsburg was the first settlement in Clermont County founded in 1796. The annual Christmas Train Walk has been taking place every year, on the first Friday in December for as long as folks can remember.

In the early 1900s, Lionel began to produce the first electric toy trains. At that time trains were a common way to travel, so there was a natural fascination with the tiny electric trains. Christmas day soon began to have presents of toy trains stacked under the trees. These trains needed to be assembled and thus the natural place would be to run the train track around the tree. Since the holidays were a time of travel to see family and friends, the toy trains were associated with Christmas, family, and Christmas trees.

Back in present-day Williamsburg, folks gathered to hear Santa on the keyboard and his gang playing instruments, jamming out and rocking Christmas tunes outside of the Paradise East Taproom.

Inside Peoples’ Bank, musicians were entertaining folks and one of the guitar players was also keeping the beat with bells on his toes. We were all tapping our feet.

Lucy Snell, Izella Cabwallaber and Nancy Karken are members of the Williamsburg Garden Club and Williamsburg Historic Society. They decorated the beautiful trees on the bridge and they plant and tend to the flower pots on the street corners all summer long. Mums, plant sales, and a room full of treasures at the community center during the Christmas walks are fundraisers used for local scholarships as well as for keeping Williamsburg looking festive and beautiful all year long.

Majestic Clydesdale horses were busy trotting about delightful children and adults around town in the wagon they pulled. The handler was Matt Baden, from Painted Feathers Farm in Bracken County, KY. Along with neighbors from Wildlife Equestrian, they own at least 17 Clydesdales. These incredibly strong horses are originally from a region in Scotland called Clydesdale. Being one of the larger breeds, they are muscular, measure 19 hands tall, weigh an average of 2,000 pounds, and were originally used for farm work. Clydesdales are known for being calm, gentle, docile and easy to handle. They have long beautiful feathers that grow on their legs and as they trot and run, their feathers blow in the breeze. Bow and Ike were the two Clydesdales who charmed the crowd at the Christmas walk.

Fitzgeralds Pharmacy is a family-owned business started by pharmacist Jerry Fitzgerald in 1963. His first goal was, “to welcome everyone with open arms, a heartwarming smile, a caring heart and a listening ear.” The pharmacy is now managed by son, Mark Fitzgerald, and serving the community is still the number one goal. Mark Fitzgerald says the folks who come in every day are like family. He said it is getting tougher for pharmacies to stay in business as profits get squeezed lower and lower by pharmaceutical benefit managers. Walgreens is in the process of closing down 1,200 pharmacies nationwide. But Fitzgerald says they plan on staying the course, taking care of their customers.

Frank and Tena Clifton were passing out hot apple cider to passersby who were ready for a little warmth on a nippy night. Frank Clifton is President of the Grassy Run Historical Arts Committee. The group was formed in 1988 by a group of historians who wanted to commemorate a significant day in Clermont County history. That day was April 10, 1792, when a battle arose between two different cultures on Grassy Run, at the East Fork of the Little Miami River. One was led by the frontiersman, Simon Kenton, and the other by Native American, Tecumseh. The historians wanted to make sure future generations would know about this historic event as they planned the 200th anniversary in 1992 of the Battle of 1792.

The organization helps bring to life the ways of the pioneers who settled here, and what their daily lives were like, through demonstrations of crafts and skills pioneers needed to survive. They educate children through school programs, scouts, and their participation in historical festivals, bicentennials, and celebrations. They are passionate about educating the public regarding the history of this place we call home. To learn more about the battle of Grassy Run and to get more information on this historic-minded group visit https://www.grassy-run.org

Paisley is an opossum pet. Yes, you read it correctly. Kathy and Gerald Schirmer were strolling down Main Street amongst all the festivities with what appeared to be an opossum over Gerald’s shoulder.

Paisley is eight months old and the couple adopted Paisley when she was approximately three months old. The gestational time is 13 to 14 days, and then the baby opossum stays in mom’s pouch for 60 to 70 days. The couple procured the opossum from a licensed wildlife breeder in Tennessee. A permit is needed which entails a visit from a representative from the Wildlife Organization.

Gerald said that when he met his now wife, Kathy, 20 years ago, he was a hunter. She told him he could do what he wanted, but she was not going to skin, cook or eat anything he hunted, and he quipped that now, here he is 20 years later with a pet opossum.

Paisley eats a very specific diet, is nocturnal, so sleeps during the day in her cage, and can go in and out of her room at her will. She uses a puppy pad to do her duty. She is very snuggly and loves to be petted. Opossums, like cats, are very clean animals, as they are always cleaning themselves. They have a long tail that curls at the end for balance as needed.

Walking down Main Street in a beautiful, glimmering, decorated small town, highlights the celebration of Christmas as a community. It takes a village of folks to put together a Christmas walk or any event. These community events take place in every village, town, and city across the world. They offer opportunities for folk to come together to connect and celebrate, and share their talents. As I looked about at the folks talking, smiling, laughing, sharing, and working, I thought we as a people have so much more in common than not. We are social beings who seek out meaningful relationships and strive to be a part of something bigger than ourselves. We long to belong, we need purpose, we are curious, we use our imaginations, and we want to love and be loved.

The Christmas season may just be the time, at year’s end, to remember what unites us, and give voice and expression to that unifying sentiment to friends, family, co-workers, acquaintances and strangers. During this most wonderful time of the year, wishing all, love, joy, and happiness!