Barbara Lawlor, Gilpin County. Years ago, before gaming was approved in Central City and Black Hawk, the two small towns attracted people who wanted to experience the historical aspect, as well as the present time shopping atmosphere, during the holiday season. Small, eclectic, charming shops were prevalent, tourism being a major contributor to the economy.
Gambling changed all that. Yes, tourism is still the main money maker for the towns, but the money goes to the big corporate backers of the gaming industry, not to the mom and pop businesses that used to exist.
There are a few shops that keep hanging in there, and a group of people who work hard to come up with events steeped in tradition. They offer a shopping experience that could save locals a trip downtown during this shopping season.
The Central City Showcase Gallery above the Visitor’s Center has a new show that opened Nov. 16: Star Light, Star Bright, featuring the night time skies above the mountains. The show runs through January 3. Photographers Sean Turner and Darren White present dazzling, technical works of star showers caught in time lapse photos, and the milky way captured in streams. The pieces are printed on glass and metal. Any of these photographs would make a stunning gift and be the centerpiece of an art collection, or a stand-alone on any wall.
This year a new tradition is being born. The Main Street Central City Commission is sponsoring a “Central City Tree Festival,” which is open to the public, to enhance the city’s decorations for the Holidays. The trees will be displayed in windows of the local businesses in Central City, including those that are empty. There will be a first prize for Best Tree of $100 and a second prize for Best Theme of $45. The entry fee is $15 per tree and anybody can enter as many trees as they like.
The trees can be either 4-ft or 6-ft tall, must be artificial, and must have an extension cord for the lights. The trees will be installed through December 10 and will be left up through January 29th-31st. Each tree will have a sign giving your information and voting information.
Organizer Mary Bell says, “This will add to our beautiful city holiday lighting and make our city look additionally festive. We would like to add this as an annual Festival of Trees for all to enjoy.”
Bell owns the Mountain Goat Gallery which displays her glasswork, including her new series of large glass bowls, which involve two and a half days of firing, and are made from scrap glass that she has saved for 10 years. It is an implosion process she says, and the bowls ends up with an inch thick bottom.
Nita and Mark Howland purchased one of the bowls and said they hadn’t come to Central City much since gambling started, until they discovered the Mountain Gift. Now they visit regularly to find pieces of art for their home and for gifts. Bell also creates custom stemware for a special holiday gift.
The Mountain Menagerie has been in its three story full building for eight years. It was once Terp’s General Store, then the Bonanza Casino and then Easy Street. It contains the merchandise of up to 40 vendors, with new, used, old, and antique pieces. A person could spend an entire day either looking for something specific or enjoying a burst of compulsive buying.
It’s kind of like Alice’s Restaurant, “You can get anything you want,” and owner Sharon Porter says she has a great crafts section with yarns and artist’s supplies, antique furniture, tons of books, Western collectables and an entire Christmas Store in the mezzanine. The Menagerie is the perfect place to take visitors over the holidays.
Also on Main Street, at “Reliving The Past Studio”, visitors will experience being transformed into an old western gunslinger or saloon girl, a miner in search of their fortune in gold or even into an old Victorian Era family relative from an old photograph. The studio is state of the art, in terms of having a choice of multiple scenes to choose from starting with a hand painted canvas back drop, an old western style bar, a Victorian style living room with fireplace scene, a wrought iron bed scene and finally a full 9’ x 12’ rear projection screen system that allows the imagination to run wild with a mountain, lake, river, cabin, or even an old mining scene.
With a variety of costumes to choose from, you can transform yourself into any character from the past. Steve and Karen Strauch of Apex had a picture of them and their dogs taken for a Christmas present for their parents, which makes for an unusual, treasured gift. They said the dogs were free. Milda Pfleghardt is the owner and says locals get a $5 discount. She also has period costumes for sale.
Heading north, in the mid-Gilpin County area, there are two liquor stores. The Underground Liquor Store is across from Taggart’s, next to the library, and they are stocking up for the holiday season with Christmas packages and seasonal beers.
On the counter one will find a selection of Twisted Shots, a perfect stocking stuffer for adults. The shots come in a shot glass separated in the middle: on one side is a liquor, like strawberry sundae vodka or whiskey and one the other side is a liqueur like banana pear cream liqueur. When you open a hole in the shot glass, both sides intertwine and form a delicious combo treat.
At the north end of Gilpin County, next to Roy’s Last Shot, the Mid-County Liquor Store is offering Busch and Busch Lite 30-can pack for $16.99, all Bud Lite 12-packs for $11.99 and Corona 12-packs for $15.59. There will be a tequila tasting on Dec. 5, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. and a champagne tasting on Dec. 19, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. The store is open 9-9 Monday through Saturday and 10-5 on Sunday.
Upon walking into any shop there is always the compulsive shopping phenomenon. You go in with something in mind and suddenly, another item beckons you, something you never thought of. It is time be wild, surprise yourself, open yourself up to a new idea and grab that crazy, beyond-the-box gift that someone will love.
It is all available in our mountain towns, and visiting the mountain shops is a bunch of fun! It adds to the holiday spirit of good cheer and peace.
