Hartford, WI – The Christmas season kicks off today in downtown Hartford, Wi, and part of the magic comes from the nostalgia of the Lionel Trains displayed in storefront windows of shops on Main Street.
“People will stand outside and look through our window like an old-fashioned General Store,” said Kayla Gerard, owner of The Local Collective, 10 S. Main Street.
“My son has always liked trains but last year he got into it so much more – he even put his dinosaur in one of the cars to ride,” Gerard said.
“It’s pretty funny my mom put my Brachiosaurus on the train car,” said 6-and-a-half-year-old Rhett.
The history of trains at Christmas goes back more than 100 years. “For the older generation the trains offer a pleasant trip down memory lane when it was common for trains to be displayed circling the tree at Christmas and for the younger generation a train that moves under its own power is a mechanical world that’s fascinating,” said Steve Naubaum of Hartford, Wi.
Naubaum has about 300 locomotives and over 1,000 various train cars in his collection. His oldest toy train dates to the early 1900’s. He has eight setups displayed around the downtown.
“We were a country that was only loosely united, but it was the train that helped with logistics of moving people and freight efficiently and it’s still part of the American fascination,” said Naubaum.
“Back in the day, over 120 years ago most people never wandered more than 100 miles from their home, and it was the railroad crews that traveled the country and saw it all. Some of that adventure is still part of the American subconscious.
“Trains stimulate the imagination… young and old.”
Click HERE to read more about the history of trains during the Christmas season
Hartford, WI – Main Street in Hartford, Wi will be ringing in the Christmas holiday on November 9, 2024 with the 38th annual Hartford Christmas Parade. Click HERE to watch the live broadcast with announcer Ron Naab as the parade steps off Saturday at 3 p.m.
This year’s theme is ‘A Classic Christmas.’
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The 38th annual parade will begin at Highland and Main and head south down Main Street to Monroe Avenue. This year’s grand marshals are Ray and Carrie Stelzer, former owners of Scoop DeVille.
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The live broadcast of the 38th annual Hartford Christmas Parade is brought to you by Pearl of Canton II, Penny Zagel – All State Insurance, Laufer Trucking, Goeman’s Rapid Mart, The Local Collective, Wendy Wendorf – Homestead Realty, East Side Lumber, Uptown Motorcars in Slinger, Interfaith Caregivers of Washington County, Dahlberg O’Meara Law Group, Morrie’s West Bend Honda, and Soup Korner in Hartford, WI, now open at 9 a.m. Watch for live broadcast in front of Handmade Wonders, 15 N. Main Street in Hartford, WI.
