Downtown Open House kicks off holiday season

The merchants of downtown Tecumseh host the annual Holiday Open House on Friday and Saturday. Holiday shopping hours with the 27 downtown merchants will be Friday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Merchants will have recipes to pass out for the annual recipe walk, and some will even provide a sample of the finished dish. A special activity for 2015 is “The Christmas Pickle Hunt.”

Shoppers will look to find a hidden pickle Christmas ornament somewhere in each store downtown. Finding the pickle ornament means an entry into each store’s special gift drawing. An adult and a child winner will be drawn at each store.

Each adult will win a pickle ornament and a gift card or gift to the store that draws his or her name. Child winners will win their own pickle ornament kit to take home.

Candlelight shopping will begin Friday evening at 6 p.m. with the annual downtown streetscape lighting set for 7 p.m. The lighting ceremony will start the official holiday season where the streetlights bring a warm glow to Downtown Tecumseh.

Merchants will offer refreshments as well as holiday gift and decorating ideas. Burning barrels on the main four corners of downtown will offer a spot to warm up for downtown shoppers.

Music and refreshments will be offered by some of the downtown merchants. Dale Chadderdon will perform at Martin’s Home Center beginning at 6:30 p.m. on Friday.

The Carnegie Artist Studios will be decorated for the holidays, and open on Friday evening from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. as well as Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Shoppers are invited to stop and see the restored building as well as the artwork on display by the artists in residence at the Carnegie.

People are invited to bring hats and gloves to place on the Giving Tree located outside Great Ideas. The donated cold weather items will be given to Tecumseh Service Club for distribution to local people in need.

The holiday weekend finishes up on Sunday, Nov. 15, as Evans Street Station hosts the Holiday Wine Fest from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. The evening features food, wine, live music and a silent auction. All proceeds to benefit the historic Carnegie Library Restoration. Call 424.5555 for tickets to this special event.

For more information on the Downtown Tecumseh Holiday Open House or any downtown activities, visit www.downtowntecumseh.com or www.mytecumseh.org.