CENTRAL CITY — Central City carries a long memory shaped by its mining past. Among the stories passed down through generations is the legend of the Tommyknockers. 

According to Legends of America, Tommyknockers “are about two feet tall and often described as greenish in color. They look like men and are most often spied wearing a traditional miner’s outfit. Living beneath the ground, they have been ‘known’ to have committed both good and bad deeds through the centuries, often playing practical jokes and committing random acts of mischief, such as stealing unattended tools and food.”

The story came to America with Cornish miners in the early 1800s. When the California Gold Rush began, those miners were welcomed, and their stories traveled west with them. 

The City of Central also had many Cornish miners during its mining years, so the tales became part of local culture. It feels appropriate that the holiday season here begins with “Tommyknocker’s Christmas.”

Tree decorating, Kids’ Parade, and story time

On the morning of Thursday, December 4, students from the Gilpin County School arrived on Main Street to hang their handmade ornaments on the town tree. The scene was noisy and energetic. The children huddled with friends, pointed at decorations, and moved quickly from branch to branch. 

The air had that winter bite to it, but the kids didn’t seem to notice. Parents took photos while teachers tried to keep everyone moving.

After the decorating, the kindergarten and elementary students walked down Main Street toward the Teller House in what the town calls “The Kids’ Parade.” The casino workers poked their heads out of the businesses to watch the jubilant bunches trotting down the street. Their looks of surprise mixed with fond amusement said it all: “Christmas is about the children.”  

Inside, the kids were kindly greeted by Father Christmas, dressed in a long red robe and holding a tall wooden staff topped with a star. 

Mrs. Claus was played again this year by Barbara Thielemann, who also serves as a co-chair of Main Street Central City. She has volunteered in this role for nearly three decades.

A local storyteller gathered all the students. They sat on the floor, mesmerized as she told an animated tale. She shifted voices, made animal sounds, and asked questions that kept the children engaged. She unraveled a suspenseful tale involving woodland creatures and kept the kids’ attention for a fair length of time. 

After the story, volunteers from the Central City Lady Elks handed out the goodie bags. The group prepared 200 bags to serve roughly 180 children, ensuring no one was left out.  

Each bag included an orange, a candy cane, a pencil, an eraser, a pencil sharpener, a small jingle bell—which no doubt delighted their bus drivers—and a little bag of cookies.

The Lady Elks have organized this tradition for 27 years. The active group is small, about 7-8 women, but they take pride in showing up for the community. 

They welcome new members and said that you do not need to be an Elks Club member or married to a member to join. 

The group meets on the fourth Thursday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at the Central City Elks Lodge. Anyone interested can reach Co-Chair Shirley Voorhies at ShirleyBCO@cs.com.

As the schoolchildren headed out, they clutched their bags with smiles on their faces. Tommyknocker's Christmas had begun. 

Tree lighting, caroling, and the Tommyknocker Potluck

On Friday evening, December 5, people gathered on Main Street for the town’s tree lighting. By about 6:45 p.m., the crowd had grown thick around the base of the tree.

Mayor Jeremy Fey stepped forward and gave a short speech. Three singers from the Central City Opera followed with carols. Volunteers handed out small candles, and the soft glow from each one lit up the faces around the tree.

Locals joked that the tree was lucky to be standing at all. The past two holiday trees had been clipped by runaway vehicles. The hill into town is steep. The corner is tight. Trucks lose their brakes now and then. This year, when another car came down too fast, people were relieved to see the big, beautiful tree still upright.

The countdown began. The switch was thrown. The lights came on, and the whole street brightened for the season. The crowd didn’t linger long in the cold.

The singers led everyone down Main Street, then up Eureka, where the caroling echoed off the brick. The parade ended at the historic Teller House, built in 1872.

Inside, the smell hit first. Sweet potatoes. Ham. Every type of side dish imaginable. People could sit in either the Mural, Eureka, or the Rouge Room, which some call the Teller Dining Room, though almost nobody uses that name. 

The Rouge Room is pink in tone, which is how it got the nickname. The tables were full of plates, crockpots, and foil-covered pans. There were casseroles, breads, salads, desserts, and plenty of comfort food. 

Mayor Fey attended the dinner, along with Councilman Zane Plsek, Commissioner Jeff Aiken, City Manager Daniel Miera, Coroner Zane Laubhan, and Main Street Co-Chair Barbara Thielemann.

I brought a pot of potatoes and sausage, cooked in the Instapot I recently bought from Ermel’s Emporium across the street. Someone gave me a compliment on it, which was nice. The food was delicious and the company sweet. It felt good to chat with neighbors and see familiar faces in both rooms.

After people settled in with their food, it was time for the crazy sweater contest. Contestants walked through each room, collecting applause to help decide the winners. People clapped and laughed as each sweater came into view. 

First place went to Dina Hunter, whose sweater pulled the loudest cheers.

Second place went to Lindsey Gianola, who wore a bright elf costume.

Third place went to little Aria Brooks, smiling from ear to ear as she accepted her prize.

The winners took home sparkling cider, chocolates, and a baking kit. The night ended with a contentment that only comes with community, and you could really feel the Christmas spirit alive in the old Teller House. 

Tommyknocker’s Holiday Bazaar

The Tommyknockers Holiday Bazaar ran for two days inside the Teller House. Saturday was quiet due to frigid temperatures and slick roads. Sunday brought in more shoppers, especially after church. 

Door prizes went out every 15 minutes, and concessions stayed busy. Our very own Brittney Wagner, who was manning The Mountain-Ear booth, won a door prize: a small snowman candle.

A children’s cookie decorating and coloring table sat near the entrance. Kids worked on their cookies and filled out coloring pages for the contest.

Robbie Zmuda’s table displayed a mix of items from her home and her mother’s things. I bought a small 1960s plastic placemat there for a dollar, and she was pleased to see it go to someone local.

Author Lisa Doyle showcased her Pop Pop the Garbage Truck children’s series. The characters are based on her family members and staff from their trash company. Her booth also had shirts, tote bags, buttons, and a blanket tied to the series.

At the knife table, Randy displayed antler-handled knives made from elk and deer. He also had antler slices and hand-stitched leather sheaths.

Local author Jen Black offered ghost story books, tarot and moon-phase guides, spell jars, candles, stickers, and matchboxes. People stopped often to look at her display.

Fluid Visions, run by Wendy Van de Venter, featured poured-paint artwork using dirty pours, Dutch pours, and bloom techniques. Her table included trays, coasters, and resin pieces. I bought a tray that matched my dining room.

Jerry’s Diamond Art sold diamond art kits, coin purses, magnets, keychains, and coasters. She also explained how the DIY kits work.

Renewal by Andersen registered participants for a window-and-door raffle valued at up to $35,000. Many shoppers added their names.

The Mountain-Ear booth offered tie-dye shirts for yearly online subscriptions and had mugs, tote bags, and copies of the latest issue. Shoppers stopped by throughout the day.

Nineteen-year-old Central City artist Soren Ernest displayed clay earrings, recycled-material sea creatures, origami stars, small terrariums, and her own paintings. I bought a few pieces for my kids.

Deb’s Delights, operated by Deborah Whiteman, offered apricot butter, plum jam, orange marmalade, peach-mango chutney, cranberry jam, pumpkin-orange jam, and blood-orange marmalade. She explained she has made these for years, but was selling them for the first time.

The last table belonged to Judy Wetzel, who sold greeting cards with small 3D-printed ornaments. She also had printed elephants, hearts, and other decorative pieces, along with information about her new tech startup.

By late afternoon, vendors began packing their tables. The final door prizes were announced, and families wrapped up their shopping before heading home. This closed out the weekend’s events, and another successful Tommyknockers was in the books.