Christmas of Yesteryear comes to Town Square Friday

Christmas of Yesteryear is set to kickoff Hope’s holiday season with some new twists on the long-running program.

The event, organized by the Yellow Trail Museum, will be from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Nov. 16th.

Marking its 16th season, the annual holiday event will offer familiar favorites, as well as a few changes, says Erin Anderson, president of the Yellow Trail Museum board.

“We are running it a little differently this year because we want to make it more accessible,” she says. “By doing so we are hoping more people can participate in the history part.”

In years past, historical characters lined the carriage ride route, which meant only those who paid to take the rides could hear the characters tell their stories, Anderson explains. Visitors would disembark multiple times from the carriage at designated points along the route to hear characters tell their stories, but this year the characters will be positioned in a central location.

“The characters are going to be placed around the Hope Town Square so people won’t have to worry about climbing up and down out of the carriage to participate,” Anderson says. “It also makes that portion of the program free.”

The event, which attracts upwards of 1,000 people annually, is the first community-wide holiday event in Bartholomew County.

“I’m looking forward to finding out whether this new way of doing it improves our numbers,” Anderson says.

Visitors can look forward to the return of the live nativity, offered by the First Baptist Church, at the shelter house on the Square, says Lizzie Flora, manager of the Yellow Trail Museum.

“We have the Students’ Fund of Hope helping us decorate the Square this year,” Flora says. “The Hauser Historians are also helping us in a variety of ways as actors.”

Of the more than one half dozen historical characters who will take part in the event will be one of the Hausers and Florence Yost, who worked for the telephone company, Flora says.

And, of course, Jolly Old Saint Nicholas will make an appearance, Anderson says. Organizers are hoping Santa will arrive on a sled this year, which will make him more visible.

“Last year he came in on a fire truck and you couldn’t tell because he had to sit in the cab,” Anderson says.

After making his arrival, Santa will settle in to greet area children and their families at Dr. Sweet’s office, located on Washington Street, Flora says.

To help keep visitors warm, hot chocolate will be offered by Willow Leaves of Hope and there will be cookie decorating at the Yellow Trail Museum, as well, Anderson says.

Several businesses on the Square will also remain open during the event, Flora says.

“The event started as a way to get people to come to Hope and shop,” she says. “So a lot of local businesses are open.”

Anderson is excited this is the first year she and her family will be attending the event, she says.

“I like the people in the costumes, the bundle up warm because it is cold outside, drink hot chocolate and the whole shebang,” Anderson says. “I just adore it.”

Like Anderson, Flora is excited for the event and hopes all who attend have a good time.

“Christmas is such an important holiday for me,” Flora says. “It is where all of my family traditions come from. I just really want everyone to experience that Christmas spirit early.”