ROCKINGHAM – Sleigh bells will be ringing, chestnuts will be roasting, and stockings will be hung with care as Willow Tree Antique and Gifts has been transformed for its annual Christmas Wonderland open house event.
Located at 122 South Hancock Street in Rockingham, Willow Tree is a one of a kind antique and gift shop, specializing in repurposed furniture, antiques, and hand-crafted gifts. Open Tuesday through Saturday, this two-year-old business prides itself on offering its customers unique items that cannot be found anywhere else. Especially not on the shelves of big box stores.
Another aspect this local business prides itself upon: the displays.
Unlike the traditional stock shelves of major retailers, Willow Tree prefers to show its merchandise in a more abstract way that makes customers feel like a part of the store. Ladders are turned into cascading shelves of elegance. Antique window frames are suspended from ceilings. And antiques are given new lives in ways you would have never suspected.
Imagine then what becomes of the Willow Tree when the holiday season rolls around. The answer: a Winter Wonderland.
“I love to decorate for Christmas, and every year it seems that I do something different,” said owner Jill DeBerry, who said she’s a self-proclaimed Christmas fanatic. “I’m always looking for something new to display.”
And her store is certainly no exception.
This Saturday, the antique store will take on a whole new look as it is entirely transformed into a Christmas lover’s paradise by DeBerry and her team of elves. DeBerry noted that she’s having the Christmas sale in mid-November because it’s her belief that more and more families are using the weekend following Thanksgiving to decorate for the holiday season.
Beginning at 9 a.m. on Saturday, November 11, Willow Tree will open its doors for the event. DeBerry and her staff are excited to invite everyone to browse their eclectic collection of Christmas goodies and creations, and be awed by their whimsical wintery displays.
According to DeBerry, lots of new inventory has been added specifically for this event, and the staff of the Willow Tree cannot wait for customers to see it all, specifically the new collection of Christmas items. Ranging from decorations and antiques, to novelties, gifts, and everywhere in between, Willow Tree is certain to have something for nearly everyone on Christmas lists this holiday season.
Plus, what Christmas wonderland would be complete without a few special surprises and treats? Hot apple cider and raffles for a Willow Tree gift certificate will round out the annual event’s festivities, which are set to conclude at 2 p.m.
For more information on Willow Tree or its Christmas Wonderland Open House event, visit its website at willowtreeantiquesandgifts.com, or call them at (910) 730–1776.
