It’s that time of year again. Time to deck the halls with ribbon and garland, and decorate Christmas trees to celebrate the season.
At Snowshoe Mountain Resort, Christmas cheer came alive with new decorations in the lodges and The Village. Snowshoe partnered with Thomas Clevenger, of TB Clevenger Design, to light up the resort.
“They needed to update their holiday program,” Clevenger said. “The concept was to really amp up the whole holiday program. They completely updated everything.”
First on the agenda was to make The Village Santa-worthy. The light poles are wrapped with garland topped with sparkling snowflakes. Handmade wreaths by Connie Grimes adorn the eaves of Village businesses and a large tree, accompanied by plywood presents sit at the center of it all.
“We’re trying to make sure that the people who come up here for the holidays feel like they’re home for the holidays,” Clevenger said. “Before, the mountain did things, but never to this extent or this level.”
Along with the exterior, the interiors of several lodges have individualized Christmas decorations.
“I partnered with Spiker Springs Herbs and Antiques, out of Adamsville, Ohio,” Clevenger said. “Owner Denise is an herbalist and antique dealer. For some of the interior spaces, she got us some of the sleds and toboggans – they’re from 1910, 1920. Different places will have ice skates. The winter sports will all be there.”
Winter sports are also evident in the main tree at The Village. Flanked by brightly painted skis, snowboards and toboggans, the tree is topped by a star made from miniature skis.
Clevenger used his design expertise to match the Christmas decorations to the theme or feel of each lodge. For the more rustic lodges, he used burlap and antlers. In the more modern places, he used items that sparkle.
While Snowshoe seems to be fully decked out for the season, Clevenger said this is just the beginning.
“Next year, we’re going to be working with the shops and restaurants,” he said. “It’s a two-step process. What they’re going to do eventually is all the tress will be themed. The Junction will do a Smoky Mountain Christmas and so on.”
The decorations were unveiled Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, with a traditional tree lighting, complete with caroling around the tree. Santa Claus made the trek from the North Pole to lead the crowd in a countdown for the tree lighting.
Later, Santa met with children at the Big Top and gave out pre-Christmas gifts.
Spreading the Christmas spirit to visitors is icing on the winter season cake.
“Snowshoe has already done everything to make it a more vibrant winter,” Clevenger said. “Now they’re trying to up the ante for the holiday part.”
Suzanne Stewart may be contacted at sastewart@pocahontastimes.com
