The weather may feel like spring, but the atmosphere is decidedly festive in Lowell this weekend. You’ve probably already seen small Christmas trees dotting the corners and by the storefronts in town, and that can only mean one thing: Christmas Through Lowell has arrived. Now is your chance to get a jump on your holiday shopping and support local crafters and artisans at the same time.
This marks the 25th year for Christmas Through Lowell. Organized by the Lowell Area Chamber of Commerce, the event always falls on the third weekend of November and encourages local crafters to open their homes to sell their handmade goods. This year, 33 homes and churches are participating in the event along with 16 downtown businesses.
Event Brings Family, Friends Together
Brenda Clark and her sister Cathy Razmus have been part of the event from nearly its start. “We were in the first or second year,” Clark remembers. The pair bounced around to several different houses and churches but for the past decade, they have set up shop at 2465 Gee Drive, which is stop 18 this year.
Clark says her sister is the crafty one and the reason they originally got involved in Christmas Through Lowell. However, over the years, they have welcomed family, friends and even a nurse who cared for their mom to join them at their stop which they call “Home for the Holidays.”
“My mom is almost 84 and, bless her heart, she did these big bows,” Clark says, pointing to a glittering white bow attached to a chair. Walking back to the kitchen, she stops to admire the work of a friend who crafted some decorative plates, and then she pulls us back into the garage to show off the pony scarves made by someone else.
“Being together as a family,” she says when asked about her favorite part of Christmas Through Lowell. “That’s the whole point.”
Brisk Business on the First Day
The lawn outside stop 18 was lined with cars on Friday morning, and Clark predicts they will sell most of their goods by the time the event wrapped up. “The neat thing about our house is it has items ranging from $2 to $50,” she says. Plus, there are a few bigger ticket items such as furniture and gifts for the guys as well.
Meanwhile, over at 823 N. Jefferson, a steady stream of visitors were stopping by location 25. It’s the site of Kristy Bem, ceramic artist, and offers ceramics, maple syrup, honey, greeting cards and more. After being open for only an hour and a half, nearly three dozen people had already been through the house, and traffic was only expected to pick up as the day progressed.
Those wanting to enjoy a little early Christmas spirit, can stop by any of the participating houses, churches or businesses until 9pm tonight. Christmas Through Lowell then continues tomorrow, Saturday, from 9am-7pm and Sunday from 11am-5pm. However, many stops are closed on Sunday so plan accordingly.
You can find more information and a map to all participating locations on the Christmas Through Lowell website.
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