EL businesses to celebrate the ‘Spirit of Christmas’

Submitted photo
Open House organizers, Susan Weaver and Michelle Roberts go over details for the event.

EAST LIVERPOOL — East Liverpool will be celebrating the spirit of Christmas with a city-wide open house to be held from 3 to 5:30 p.m. Dec. 3.

The event will feature local businesses hosting sales, special programs/exhibits, giveaways, kids’ activities, refreshments and more.

“‘The Spirit of Christmas’ is the theme, especially fitting for a town that has, in recent years, renewed its ‘spirit’ of cooperation and progress,” a press release on the event said. “Susan Weaver from the Museum of Ceramics and Michelle Roberts of the Upper Ohio Valley Hall of Fame and Learning Center are coordinating the open house and encourage the community to come support and enjoy the festivities.”

Weaver said the museum had an open house last year right before the annual Christmas parade and the museum staff and the people seemed to enjoy it.

Weaver then started working with hall of fame to collaborate on the event when she got the idea to ask every business in town to participate.

“So, we asked businesses and they are all doing something, whether it’s a 10% off sale, hot chocolate, a craft,” Weaver said.

The museum will have about seven docents on hand during the event to talk about the holiday table displays.

Weaver described the table display as something awesome. The table display is a contest where people bring in a card table and set up a tablescape. There’s only one rule and that is that local pottery only be included in the displays. This year there will be 21 holiday tables on display.

Some of the stories docents will share on the tables include how two tables set together have the same dishes but different patterns and how they may have the same shape but it’s the decor that makes them different pieces of ware. Docents will also talk about lining the dishes and let people try lining a plate with poster paints and discuss trademarks.

“We had a lot of fun with it last year,” Weaver said. “We enjoyed it and we think the people enjoyed it.”

In addition to the table displays, the museum will also offer children the opportunity to make a ceramic ornament, hold a raffle for a Lotus ware cup and saucer and provide a napkin folding demonstration.

Weaver said the event last year was a real success and they had a lot of people through. The event was held just for fun and getting people into town and having them stick around a little longer.

“It’s just really to have something for the community and give people another reason to come into town besides just the parade and to kick off the season,” Weaver said.

The event is being held immediately prior to the parade and tree lighting, which according to Weaver will give people time to visit the different businesses and then go sit along the highway and see the parade.

Weaver noted that she hopes there is a crowd for the event and that it is a benefit to the area businesses. She also noted that the museum doesn’t charge admission for the event, so they don’t really make any money. It’s just a gift to give back to the community.

Any business interested in participating should contact either Weaver or Roberts.

Additional information on the open house can be found at http://themuseumofceramics.com/spirit.

Businesses included in the open house (and hours if they differ from 3 to 5:30 p.m.) are: 33-0 Sports Cardz, 10% off, 10 a.m. to 5 pm; Bricker’s Cafe, free cookie; Carnegie Public Library, children’s Christmas craft, 10 a.m. to noon; Carriage House, art show and gift specials; Historic 1876 C. C. Thompson House, tours; Kights Korner, coffee, cookies, raffle, a candy cane tree, discounts; Museum of Ceramics, docents telling stories and facts about the 21 Holiday Tables, napkin folding demo, Lotus Ware raffle, and make and take ceramic ornaments for kids; Nana’s Primitives, 10% off store-wide, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; New Castle School of Trades, hot chocolate bar; “Paintings, Pots, and Pete” at the Venture Gallery, art show/sale and book signing, noon to 5 p.m.; The Pear Tree, coffee, tea and snacks, select gifts on sale, 10% off for customers in holiday attire, 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Pottery City Antique Mall, cookies, snacks and vendor specials, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Steelnative Coffee, any size brewed coffee, $1; The Upper Ohio Valley Museum of Learning Center at the Lou Holtz Hall of Fame, Christmas trees, raffle, trains, live music, and Santa; Riverview Florist, free ornament; The Way Station, 50% off coupon for main store and free used book for kids; YMCA, make a greeting card for Skilled Nursing residents.