Shandon to host Christmas in the Country for 35th time

A horse drawn trolley makes its way through Shandon, Ohio as part of the village's 32nd annual Old Fashioned Christmas in the Country celebration Saturday Nov. 29, 2008.

Pat Auckerman/File photo A horse drawn trolley makes its way through Shandon, Ohio as part of the village's 32nd annual Old Fashioned Christmas in the Country celebration Saturday Nov. 29, 2008.

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By James Sprague, Contributing Writer 10:06 AM Monday, November 14, 2011

SHANDON — A long-standing tradition is returning to Ohio’s first Welsh settlement for the holidays.

The community of Shandon is hosting its 35th annual Christmas in the Country event Nov. 26 and 27, featuring an assortment of antiques, crafts, music and food to alleviate the Black Friday blues.

Tucked in among the hills on Cincinnati Brookville Road in Morgan Twp., Shandon — established June 1801 by Welsh settlers — is known for its historic antique shops, old Welsh cemetery and its annual strawberry festival.

Shandon’s Christmas in the Country is the community’s biggest event of the year, said Jim Wilson, owner of Books in Shandon and a member of the Shandon Civic Association, which organized the event.

“All the businesses in the community are involved (with the event), including the churches,” Wilson said. “There will be a few thousand people that come out, especially on Saturday.”

The various antique stores lining the community’s main strip will be open during the event, which will also feature horse-drawn trolley rides, storytelling and craft shows at both St. Aloysius Catholic Church and Shandon Congregational Church, Wilson said.

A scale train locomotive similar to the ones that led passenger trains through the Okeana and Shandon areas will be on display, weather permitting.

It all adds up to one of Butler County’s longest-standing holiday celebrations, Wilson said.

“(Christmas in the Country) is a tradition,” Wilson said.

Contact this writer at spragoo1977@yahoo.com.