HOPE – Since 2003, the town of Hope has held the distinction of hosting the first community holiday celebration in Bartholomew County.
The board of directors of the Yellow Trail Museum, which sponsors the Christmas of Yesteryear event, originally wanted to keep the event six days before Thanksgiving. Their goal was to avoid competing with other holiday events scheduled during the traditional holiday season, board members said.
But there are going to be some changes in the way Bartholomew County’s second-largest community celebrates the holidays this year.
Instead of being held a week before Thanksgiving, Christmas of Yesteryear is scheduled to take place on Friday, Dec. 2. While the hours for last year’s event were 5 to 8 p.m., event spokeswoman Susan Thayer Fye said the board of directors will confirm this year’s hours at a later date.
Organizers were told the pre-Thanksgiving date was interfering with family activities, Yellow Trail board member Jessica Brown said. In addition, postponing the event a few weeks was also a matter of practicality because the Hope Town Square will be heavily decorated in November to salute veterans, Brown said.
Museum board members did not feel they had enough volunteers or adequate time to put up the Veterans’ Day items and put up the extensive holiday decorations by the end of this month, she added.
The new date for Christmas of Yesteryear was announced after it was confirmed last month that Columbus’ Festival of Lights parade, which was held in early December over the past 29 years, has been canceled.
Those who have visited Christmas of Yesteryear are familiar with established attractions like strolling carolers, a visit from Santa, strolling carolers, a holiday book sale and a Christmas cookie decorating.
A highlight of the event is when several of the top town figures through the ages come to life. For most of the celebration’s history, visitors and patrons would listen to tales of times past from the spirits as they were transported to an area near the Hope Moravian Cemetery.
In continuing caution due to the pandemic, characters will be presented in a scripted narrative from the town square bandstand for the second year in a row.
Meanwhile, the Hope Town Council has given their tentative approval for another holiday event to premiere on the same evening that Christmas of Yesteryear is held.
The German-themed Christmas market will be set up in converted 8-feet by 12-feet yard barns, event spokesman Dan Fleming said. He’s a member of the board of directors for the Community Center of Hope, which intends to raise money through consignment.
The council’s approval of the German Christmas Market was made with the stipulation that it be approved by the Yellow Trail Museum’s board of directors, museum board member Ed Johnson said. The market also has to coordinate with the Christmas of Yesteryear committee in an effort to avoid potential problems.
Brown said she expects the museum’s board of directors to vote to welcome the German Christmas market as a great new addition/ It also fits well with the community’s history, with census figures showing 26% of Bartholomew County residents has some German heritage.
The German Christmas Market and Christmas of Yesteryear will only be held together for one evening — Friday, Dec. 2. The market will be back from noon until 8 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 3 and on the following Friday and Saturday, Dec. 9-10. Hours during the second weekend will be the same as the first.
