Nebraska vendors celebrate Christmas at the Cornhusker

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – When it comes down to finding a heart-felt gift for a loved one, some turn to Local businesses to get that sense of uniqueness when choosing a gift.

It’s the time of year for giving, and what’s a better way to give than to buy locally-made gifts from small business owners in Nebraska.

There are two themes when it comes to Christmas at the Cornhusker, the first is celebrating the holiday. The second, supporting local vendors that are going to take that money and put it back into the community.

That’s been the goal of Breanna Greenwalt’s Company, Wild Orange Creation, since she first started hosting markets in Ashland in 2018. The event has now grown to fill the Cornhusker Hotel for the second year in a row.

“My vendors are very, very important to me,” Greenwalt said. “So I like to get vendors that are loyal. And they keep coming back. And so when they’re new, and they just started out. They do. I mean, you’ll see them over and over again at these events.”

The business owners come from more than just Lincoln, several traveled to the Capital City from surrounding towns.

“We do mostly online work,” said Doug Monty, Under the Mountain Apothecary. “But we also do major craft shows like this one here. This is our second year doing Christmas at the Cornhusker It’s been a lot of fun.”

“This is my third year doing this,” said Anne Hatch, Coca Annie’s Owner. “And just the people who come back and the stories that they tell them the pictures they send when you know, they give the guests. So that’s really fun.”

This is the second year of the event, with several returning vendors. Many hope to beat their sales goals from last year. Beyond sales, vendors and customers said it’s about community.

“We’ve seen a lot of familiar faces,” Monty said. “A lot of repeat vendors. the traffic has been amazing. So far a lot, a lot of friendly faces coming through. And all the vendors come together to have a great time. We all know, the struggle of a small business. So we’re trying to support each other to lift us all up. And so we all do well.”

That community means people, big and small, with a Christmas celebrity making an appearance.

“I always like to have Santa at a Christmas event because it’s a good opportunity to get him in,” Greenwalt said. “You know, they could go to Omaha and go to Bass Pro or something. But if he’s already here, you’re getting a local experience with Santa and you get to get some shopping done.”

When a day of festivities is over, vendors hope customers will leave the market feeling happy with full arms.

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