The 14th Annual Irvington Holiday Open House will be held on Friday, December 6th from 5-9 p.m. This marks the beginning of the holiday season in Irvington, and goes along with the resounding theme of “Shop Local” for the holidays. Rick Wilkerson, owner of Irvington Vintage on South Audubon Street and president of the Irvington Business Association, is excited to see the unique open house tradition continue. “It’s the one time of the year when the business owners stay open late and give everyone a chance to come in and shop.” Almost all the merchants along the East Washington St. and South Audubon commercial corridors will participate this year, serving up light refreshments, specials, and some other surprises.
This year, visitors to the Irvington open house can enjoy carriage rides from the Irvington Library to Irving Circle from 6-9 p.m., Girl Scout carolers on East Washington St., music and more at the Irving Theatre, and the kids can visit Santa at George Thomas from 6-8 p.m.
Shops are all within walking distance of each other, with only a short hop from East Washington south a couple of blocks on Audubon. Wilkerson is excited that so many more people are discovering the shops along South Audubon, and noted that the area is ripe for more commercial enterprises. “Next year, they will start building the Pennsy Trail through here, and that will be a big shot in the arm for all of us.”
The Magic Candle will be holding an extra special event December 6, with the launch of an Adopt a Doll fund raiser for Gaia Works. Cindy Holder, a far-eastside resident and avid doll collector, decided to liquidate her extensive doll collection a couple of years ago. She read an article in the Weekly View last year about Jan DeFeberbrache and Gaia Works, and was so impressed she contacted Jan about donating the remainder of her doll collection to the cause.
“I read about her and thought she could use them,” Holder noted. “She came and loaded up her van with dolls — and I mean loaded it!” The dolls vary in size from small to life-size baby dolls, and all are high quality collectibles, and will be put up for adoption, with the “fee” going to buy toys and more for needy children in the community, as well as for Coburn Place. Magic Candle is located on 203 South Audubon at Bonna Ave. just north of Irving Circle.
