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Christmas in the Village brings holiday cheer to Barlow

Photo by Doug Loyer McKensie Mason, 7, right, and brother Devon Mason, 5, both of Marietta look at some items at the Barlow VFD Craft Show.

BARLOW — The 11th Annual Barlow Area Christmas in the Village drew many people to the Barlow area on Saturday for Christmas shopping at area stores, craft shows and other locations.

Organizers estimated 3,000-4,000 people participated in the event that included 33 stops featuring several craft shows and retail locations.

The Barlow Area Christmas in the Village is a not-for-profit organization. Its goal and purpose is to gain community awareness, community involvement and to promote economic growth, said event founder Susie Ashley.

The organization promotes both retail and home-based businesses, craft shows and artisans.

“I’ve lived in this area for 42 years. I saw a need for community awareness and growth,” said Ashley. “We are a rural area and we do not have a chamber of commerce. We started this to promote the businesses in the area plus home-based businesses.”

Photo by Doug Loyer Anne Tucker, 10, of Chesterhill, sells candy for Sarah’s Sweets at Warren Middle School.

The first seven years it was mainly in the Barlow area and now includes Bartlett, Cutler and Little Hocking. The event started out 11 years ago with 10 vendors and now has around 300.

“I’m just so elated. This community is not still,” said Ashley. “We are growing and building our identity. I want people to know what’s in our area. We have a lot to offer.”

Because of Christmas in the Village, over $100,000 has been spent on local enhancements in the area over the past 11 years on projects such as the walking trail at the Barlow Fairgrounds, historical signs and others. Christmas in the Village has raised that amount through fundraisers and sponsors. Ashley said they are very thankful for their sponsors.

This was the eighth year shopping at the Barlow Area Christmas in the Village for Becky Mason, of Marietta. She was out shopping Saturday with her daughter-in-law and two grandchildren.

“This is wonderful. I enjoy it,” said Mason. “This year I plan to go to some places I haven’t gone to before,” she said adding her first stop of the day was at the Barlow Volunteer Fire Department.

Photo by Doug Loyer The craft show at the Little Hocking Elementary School was busy Saturday during the Barlow Area Christmas in the Village event.

“This is a community event to help out local vendors sell their items. Today also coincides with our deer hunters lunch which we always have during the week of deer season,” said Barlow Fire Chief Greg Fisher.

“This is the first time I ever set up as a vendor,” said Herman Shotwell, of Barlow, who was selling knives during the craft show at the Barlow fire station. “This is great for the community and the vendors.”

At Warren Middle School, Sarah Tucker, owner of Sarah’s Sweets in Chesterhill, was selling honey, gourmet fudge, chocolates and more. Her daughter Anne Tucker, 10 helps her with making the candy and at the craft shows.

“This is my seventh year,” said Tucker. “I have several consistent customers that come every year. They know that I will be here and I look forward to it.”

“This is nice,” said Lucinda Hensler of Dale, Ohio. “I work locally, so I’m seeing many familiar faces today.”

Hensler was selling her crafts as well as creations made by her husband who welds horseshoes together to make snowmen and reindeer art.

There was a lot of activity the Cutler Community Center during Saturday’s event. Joyce Kennedy, of the Cutler Community Ladies Aid and Western Washington County Seniors, said the two groups get together and prepare the food being sold at the community building as a fundraiser for the Cutler Community Building. They also sell food all week during the hunting season as well as for Saturday’s craft show.

“The vendors are local community people that make homemade crafts,” said Cutler volunteer Jeannie Singer. “This building is used year-round for many activities. I love this place. It is used by seniors, The Cutler Heritage and Legacy Society and many other groups. We even have a food bank here.”

“Christmas in the Village is something sort of new for us,” said vendor Ellen Cordar, who was selling hats and other knitted items Saturday.

“This is a good community. Bruce Kelbaugh, a Cutler community leader, has done a great job with the community center and pulling people together,” she said.

Santa Claus made an appearance during the craft show at the Barlow Fairgrounds.

“There’s plenty of stops for the Barlow Area Christmas in the Village,” assured Santa. “There are crafts everywhere.”

“I like this. It’s a fun time,” said Santa’s helper, Brenda Ankrom of Belpre. “There has been a pretty good turnout here today.”

Candy Settlemire, of CAS Glass Beads, was a vendor at the craft show at the Barlow Library.

“It’s a wonderful day. We have a great crowd,” said Settlemire. “This is a quiet community, but there’s a lot going on. We moved here four years ago from Maine and we just love it here.”

“This brings people out. It’s been a very steady crowd,” said Heather Chidester, of Marietta, who was busy selling jewelry. “There’s a lot of people circulating and they’ve been great.”

Another hub of activity was the craft show at Little Hocking Elementary School.

“This is our second year. We have a lot of great vendors. It’s chilly, but it’s a good day to shop,” said Alyssa Chevalier, Little Hocking PTO Treasurer.

“The Christmas in the Village is a well established program,” said Chevalier. “People are becoming familiar with the stops.”

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