More than 25 festival booths will offer up dinner, tasty treats, fun activities and Christmas gift shopping....Gainesville’s Wonders of Christmas festival set for Friday, Dec. 10, on Gainesville square


C-N-A Creations will be at this year’s Wonders of Christmas festival with their hot cocoa bombs and other gift items. This photo was taken at their booth during last year’s festival.

Gainesville’s 2021 Wonders of Christmas festival is set to begin at 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 10, with plenty of good things to eat, do and shop for. 

Booth coordinator Allisa West said that in addition to the big line-up of parade floats and entries, this year’s vendor-booth count continues to grow.

The vendor list features several tasty dinner options and sweet treats, as well as booths and stores that will be ready to provide attendees with lots of Christmas gift ideas. Those wishing to have a booth at the Wonders of Christmas festival are asked to contact West at 417-543-0407. There is no fee to have a booth. 

Booths can include crafts, food, fundraiser games or other options, organizers say. 

Items can be handmade and/or local but are not required to be.

 

Dinner options

The Ozark County Historium will serve a fundraiser soup supper for $6. The meal includes soup or chili, crackers, homemade cookies and a drink. “We’ll have several kinds of soup and chili, so there should be something to please everyone,” volunteer Janet Taber told the Times. 

Boss Hog’s BBQ of Ozark will be selling smoked barbecue meats and side dishes.

The Stables will be selling brisket, pulled pork, baked potatoes and pulled pork tacos. 

Curtright Catering and Services will sell burgers and flavored kettle corn. 

 

Tasty treats and festive drinks

Set Free Ministries will sell hot cocoa, cider and baked goods.

The Gainesville High School Senior Class will sell homemade Christmas candy.

Uncle Charlie’s Deep Fried Sweets will offer up flavored funnel cakes, deep-fried Oreos, caramel apples and coffee. 

David Clardy plans to offer fudge and homemade canned goods.

Hillbilly Kettle Corn will have kettle corn and pork rinds available for purchase. The booth, run by owner Jim Ed Burks, has participated in Hootin an Hollarin for several years. 

Christina’s Country Creations booth will have a booth featuring owner Christina Jones’s homemade sweet breads and other homemade baked goods. 

Caney Mountain Volunteer Fire Department will offer homemade candy by Shirrley Williams. They will also sell raffle tickets for a Diamondback AR15 crossbow and a $100 Visa card. 

United Country Missouri Ozarks Realty, located on the north side of the square, will host a warming station inside their office where they’ll be giving away coffee, hot chocolate, cookies and other goodies. They’ll also be hosting games (see below).

Stockmens Bank will be giving away peppermints and wassail, a hot beverage of mulled cider and spices.

Gainesville First Baptist Church will be giving away hot tea and peppermint sticks in their themed booth explaining the origins of the candy cane.  

 

Christmas activities

The Hair Shop will offer free barrel train rides for children from 5 to 6 p.m. The train will then transition into part of The Hair Shop’s entry in the parade. 

Gainesville High School FBLA will host a Christmas cookie decorating booth where festival goers can purchase cookies and decorating kits and then work in a cookie-decorating area to complete their creations. 

United Country Real Estate, on the north side of the square, will host a variety of Christmas games for children. They’ll also be offering refreshments (see above). 

Gainesville First Baptist Church will have a photo prop setup station where festival goers can take photos. 

 

Gifts and other items

Created for More Co., owned by Abby Britt, will have a booth selling Abby’s home decor, Christmas ornaments and decorations plus other digital artwork items. 

KaitCo. Clothing LCC, a boutique owned by Kaitlin Conrad, will sell affordable fashion clothing and other boutique items. 

Mapleleaf Stitches, owned by Megan Lynne, will offer crocheted hats, scarves and other handmade items. 

C-N-A Creations, a joint business owned by Crystal Walker and Amanda Watkins, will sell their famous hot chocolate bombs and homemade jams and jellies.

Country Angel Candle Co., owned by Brandy Crouse, will be on the square with homemade wood-wick, paraffin-wax-blend candles with custom scents, wax melts and other items.

Mayberry Mercantile will have a booth with farmhouse decor and Christmas decorations. 

Lisa Goodnight and J.D. Price have teamed up with a booth where Goodnight will sell her Christmas paintings and other pictures created with acrylic paints, and Price will sell his handcrafted wooden blanket ladders and other handmade wood gifts.

Faithful Freshies will sell handmade air fresheners. 

In their booth, Leslie Hannaford will offer Christmas decorations and paintings, and Sharon Seay will also have Christmas themed T-shirts and shirts and other items based on the hit TV series, Yellowstone. 

J.C. Goss will be selling leather pouches, gourd art, cedar pouches, winter plant baskets, elderberry syrup and pottery. 

Alisha Andrus will also be selling handcrafted Christmas crafts and ornaments.

Lacy Green and Katie Smith will host a booth where they’ll offer information and kits where local residents can sign up to be a bone marrow donor. 

 

Local businesses open extended hours

The Edge Vinyl Designs and Screen Printing, located on the south side of the square, will be open during the festival for holiday shopping. The store offers screen-printed T-shirts, other clothing items and accessories, home decor, furniture and more. 

Christmas Corner, located on the southeast corner of the square, will be open offering Christmas decorations, ornaments and other festive winter and Christmas-themed items. 

Bouquet Palace, located on the west side of the square, will be open extended hours for holiday shoppers. The store sells fresh and silk floral arrangements, clothing, bath and spa items, homemade dip, drink, soup mixes, house plants, jewelry, home decor and a variety of other items. 

United Country Missouri Ozarks Realty, located on the north side of the square, will be open with a warming station, refreshments and games. 

 

 

Want to setup a booth or offer an activity? Call Allisa West at 417-543-0407.

Ozark County Times

504 Third Steet
PO Box 188
Gainesville, MO 65655

Phone: (417) 679-4641
Fax: (417) 679-3423