Huntingburg Christmas Stroll and Home Tour
Memories are sure to be made for all who partake in the 29th annual Huntingburg Christmas Stroll on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, November 7-9. Enjoy the sights, sounds, tastes and aromas of the season while wandering through quaint, beautifully decorated shops, most of which offer cookies and tidbits to nibble while browsing.
Actually, the funs begins on Thursday night, November 6, at 7 p.m. (all times listed are Eastern) when the Will Read (and sing) For Food troupe performs a special show — the kick-off community event for the Christmas Stroll, to benefit Shared Abundance Food Pantry.
Will Read (and sing) For Food is a unique mix of live music and humor essays. If you’ve seen one show you’ve definitely not seen them all! This one will feature Herald humor columnist Scott Saalman and musicians Ed Walston, the Troubadours of Divine Bliss, Bryan and Jaime Bolin and Daniel Ross. Matthew Crane publisher of the Dubois Country Free Press will also read an original, humorous essay.
Admission is a canned good or monetary donation, which will be given to Shared Abundance. The show will be held at Old Town Hall (309 N. Geiger Street).
In the past three years, Will Read and Sing For Food has raised $30,400 for community-related organizations. To learn more, visit http://www.willreadandsingforfood.com or “like” their Facebook page at Will Read For Food (Jasper, Indiana).
But the fun does not end there!
On Friday night, November 7, tour five charming homes (see descriptions below) and drop by the city museum for a tour.
Tickets for the annual Stroll Home Tour are $10 per person and available at The Downtown Emporium, Touch of Class Outlet and Gehlhausen’s Flowers and Gifts, all located on 4th Street and open late for this occasion. In fact all the businesses on 4th will remain open late and are filled with an amazing array of treasures, from antiques to uniques, textiles to toys and everything in between. Area restaurants will offer different culinary specialties for those who wish to combine a stroll with dinner.
The buildings lining the Downtown Huntingburg Historic District (4th Street) have been dressed in all their holiday finery for this very special annual event. Most of the shops will offer free refreshments all three days. Watch and listen for the Strolling Carolers who will fill the streets — and shops — with songs of the season.
Horse-drawn carriage rides can be enjoyed on Saturday and Sunday. The rides start and end at City Hall, on the east end of 4th and include a tour of Huntingburg’s beautiful downtown historic district.
Santa Claus and his wife, Mrs. Claus, plan to take a break from toy making at the North Pole for an early visit to one of their favorite stellar communities in Indiana. His lap will be available, along with his ear, so tots can share their Christmas wishes after he arrives in Huntingburg on Saturday afternoon. Look for him almost anywhere on 4th Street.
On Saturday night enjoy a free Candlelight Christmas Concert with the Celebration Singers at Salem Church. The performance is set for 7 p.m. and free-will offerings will be accepted, but like all other Stroll events (excluding the Holiday Home Tour), can be attended free of charge.
Be at the Old Town Hall by noon on Sunday, November 9, for the annual Sorority Cookie Walk. Simply put, these homemade cookies, in all shapes, sizes and flavors, are all you’ll need for holiday entertaining. But seriously, be there by noon because they go fast.
For more information visit huntingburgmerchants.wordpress.com/ orwww.huntingburgchamber.org, or call 812-683-5699 or 683-0123.
Home Tour Information:
The five homes on this year’s tour are all unique, and can be visited in any order and the Huntingburg Museum is a bonus stop. The first three are all located on East 2nd Street, which is somewhat of a misnomer as all are on the west side of Main in the 100 block. Visitors are sure to find something to love about each one. Look for lit lanterns in front of every tour home to help find your way.
Lisa Buschkoetter • 114 East 2nd Street
It will be no surprise to anyone who patronized the Flower Box on 4th Street when founder Lisa Buschkoetter owned it, that her home would be as comfortably and prettily decorated as her lush flower arrangements.
Buschkoetter purchased this compact but efficient bungalow fronted by a wide porch four years ago and immediately set about making it her own. When she bought it, all the trim was painted peach but she rectified that almost immediately, opting for a rich glossy white. The walls all sport different colors, however, from slate gray in the living room to a deep tan in the kitchen. The living room is graced with an overstuffed couch and love seat upholstered in soft, inviting florals that contrast neatly with a striped pattern on an overstuffed chair. A white coffee table and white wraparound shelving around the television complement the trim, as does a white-framed photo of a boat along a Venice canal taken while on holiday with her sister, and an ornately framed mirror, also in white. Lisa added a garage out back and installed new flooring, remodeled the kitchen and added cabinets and has used paint in every room to great advantage. She stenciled “Soap is to the body what laughter is to the soul” over the bathtub and uses the same technique in other areas as well.
Christine Prior • 117 E. 2nd Street
Entering Christine Prior’s home, across and a couple of houses down from Lisa Buschkoetter’s, is a bit like entering an oasis of restful green as most (but not all) of the rooms are painted in various shades of the calming color. Because she works from home, Prior is turning her work space into Mrs. Claus’s office especially for the tour. Hint: Don’t forget to check out the labels on binders and boxes to find all the charming details. Another not-to-be-missed feature (you couldn’t if you tried) is the sheer number of uniquely decorated Christmas trees filling the house for this occasion. Also the massive lit wreath adorning a wall in the living room. The adjoining wood-floored dining room is painted, in Christine’s words, “nacho cheese,” and the kitchen, a deep wine with oak cabinets. Her late parents’ bedroom furniture can be found in the main floor bedroom, along with their ornate marriage certificate — their names, Joseph Schroeder and Esther Fischer, written in an old world script. Beautiful oak furniture adorns the second floor bedroom, painted a soft sage, while the large upstairs bath is done in blue with an original claw foot tub (there is also a bathroom on the main floor). Every beautiful room in Prior’s house is artfully decorated and ready for guests and the holidays, or holidays and guests.
Emily and Elliott Meyer • 512 Roger Street
(accessed from the top of Cherry Street)
The Meyer’s three story creek stone home is a surprising oasis inside city limits. Built in the early 1980s, with a detached three car garage, a potting shed and a lovely pond on the property, it might be a bit difficult to find. Turn left from Cherry Street (heading from downtown), on Vogler, then take a left onto Roger (a gravel street). Take another left at the stone with The Meyers etched on it and be prepared for a surprise as the landscape is decidedly rural. Enter into the couple’s comfortable family room. Pass through an angled arch to the bar, which happens to be Elliott’s favorite part of the house. Take a right under another arch into Amy’s cheery yellow art room (she is completing an art education degree at USI), then another right into a game room outfitted with a ping pong table. Another right and you’re back in the family room. Each level is designed in a circle, each room painted a rich hue. The kitchen — just made for someone who loves to cook — is on the second level, with an island stove, stainless appliances and oak cabinetry. There is not a bit of wasted space in the entire house as a narrow pantry near the kitchen attests. The living room can be found on this floor and each floor sports a full bath. The one on this floor is not to be missed, with a tiled and pebbled walk-in shower. The Meyer’s master bedroom is located on this floor as is the pièce de résistance — a massive walk-in closet right off the bath that makes organization a piece of cake. The adjacent laundry room also helps keep things neat and tidy, without having to walk very many steps to put clean clothes away. The third story includes two more bedrooms and a bathroom.
Susan Fenton • 201 E. 2nd Street
When Susan Fenton purchased the large, almost Gothic Victorian home at the corner of 2nd and Walnut streets in Huntingburg, her mother thought she was crazy. Crazy like a fox maybe! A superlative graphic designer, Susan’s incredible eye for detail made the restoration of her home, if not a snap (because actually, it took years of hard work as her budget allowed), then a glorious expose of what can be done with a little paint and a lot of ingenuity. Susan used faux painting in various rooms and spaces to stunning effect and whimsical charm. Hers is probably one of the most unique and beautiful homes in Southern Indiana.
For example, white clouds float on the walls and ceiling of an upstairs bath and the walls in the television room have been faux painted to resemble dark oak wainscoting. The master bedroom is a study in blue, centered around a massive four poster bed and the living room and dining room feature an eclectic but striking mix of antiques and new pieces, chosen for comfort and beauty.
Jeff and Deanna Bounds • 616 North Main Street
The Bounds were unavailable for a pre-Stroll tour; however, by all accounts their beautiful home on North Main Street (US 231) across from Family Dollar is well worth a visit.
Huntingburg Museum
508 East 4th Street
The Huntingburg Museum is located on the second story of Huntingburg’s Town Hall, in what formerly served as Dick and Ruby Smith’s apartment. The couple’s retro kitchen is even on display. The museum will be open Friday evening from 5 to 9 p.m. providing refreshments and welcoming visitors. Currently the history of the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts over the years in Huntingburg is on display. Favorite items include the Peaches uniform and other memorabilia from the movie League of Their Own. The Old Palace of Sweets sign also receives lots of comments from visitors, as does the bedroom featuring Colonel Wm. Geiger’s bed, china and suits. Many items from Huntingburg High School are on display, along with two pianos made in Huntingburg, the Wagon Works wagon, Ernestine Fischer’s pony cart and Edan Overbeck’s miniature doll house furniture she crafted herself. Christmas items on display include the Yenowine nativity set. There are, of course, many other items too numerous to mention.
