St. Johnsbury Shopping
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Scottie Raymond, Owner |
If you are looking for a unique gift, the latest best selling novel, or even a steak for tonight's dinner, you can find what you need in the shops of downtown St. Johnsbury. From antiques to automotive supplies, from hardware to hand-dyed yarn, it's all in St. Johnsbury. Come discover the fun of shopping in historic buildings on St. Johnsbury's tree-lined streets.
Celebrating the Season, Victorian-Style!
Events took place all day throughout St. Johnsbury’s downtown. The holiday cheer began with Santa’s arrival at the Welcome Center at 10:00 am. Merchants throughout town were in Victorian garb for shoppers to admire in the charming shops in downtown St. J. And all day, there was plenty of fun to put everyone in the holiday spirit. The holiday bazaar at Good Shepherd School had great bargains for everyone all day. Children were busy at the Welcome Center telling Santa what they were hoping to get for Christmas, and afterward, enjoyed making gifts to give to Mom and Dad.
The horse-drawn wagon rides were a great hit during the day, and really lent that "old-time" atmosphere to the downtown. People were generous with food donations to the holiday food d
rive at Dunkin’ Donuts.
Uniquity was abuzz with activity all day, including harpist Bill Tobin, and a book signing by local author and historian Peggy Pearle.
Catamount Arts held an Open House and showed the film "A Christmas Carol." The Fairbanks Museum & Planetarium also had an Open House, complete with a planetarium show and the annual "Wreathing of the Lions" out front. The St. Johnsbury Athenaeum held a wonderful storytelling for children of all ages.
In the evening as dusk fell, everyone marveled at the more than 30,000 lights on the Holiday Cement Mixer on Main Street. Runners enjoyed the first "Light up the Night" 5K walk-run. And the Tree of Peace at Arnold Park was lighted up for the season, followed by mulled cider and cookies at the Estabrook House. The day ended for many with ice skating at the Main Street park, perhaps the perfect ending to a day of holiday celebration, Victorian-style.
Click here to watch a video highlighting all the fun, produced by Seven Days.
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| Laura and Mike Heath, Ramunto's |
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| Jeremy Bressette, Bagel Depot |
The Bagel Depot opened July 7 as a “soft opening,” but now Bressette is ready to let everyone know about his restaurant. “We’re starting to do a lot of radio advertising talking about how ‘bagelicious’ our food is,” says Bressette. Judging by the steady stream of customers coming through the door, people are already getting the word!
Shaina (l.) waits on customer Christine Bergeron (r.) at the Bagel Depot
flavors of wings. “We’ll be adding beer on tap soon,” says Heath, “which will really complement our menu.” The restaurant is bright and airy, with butcher block tables and a brand-new flat-screen television in one dining room for additional entertainment. “We want to be both a great pizzeria and a fun place for sit-down dining,” says Heath. Customers are responding to the changes in the restaurant – Heath reports that in the first month of business, they have already broken some sales records and the dining rooms have been full of satisfied customers!
(l. to r.)Hank Trembley, Jamie Nichols, Lucy and Michael Heath enjoying lunch at Ramunto's
Popular downtown restaurant Dylan’s is now open for dinner! Erin Papin, chef and co-owner of Dylan’s, says they are now open for bistro-style dinner Wednesday through Saturday from 5 pm to 9 pm.
If you’ve eaten at Dylan’s for breakfast or lunch, you know their approach to food: as Erin calls it, “hip, innovative, and fresh.” Their new dinner menu will change frequently, but include such dishes as New York strip steak, a charcoal-broiled burger, grilled chicken, curries, and pastas. Dylan’s is now serving beer and wine with both their dinner and lunch menus. They’ve stopped serving breakfasts so they can concentrate on lunch and dinner.
Erin believes in using local ingredients whenever possible. “Our eggs are always from local sources,” she says. “Our hamburger comes from right here in St. Johnsbury. We partner with a local farm in the summer for our produce.” According to Erin, “That’s the way villages used to work, with community members supporting each other. That’s our philosophy, too.”
Dylan’s is located at 378 Railroad Street, in the heart of downtown St. Johnsbury. Their phone number is 748-6748.
hnsbury part of your gift giving!Start with the brand-new limited edition St. Johnsbury 2009 wall calendar. Each month features a view from the town’s historic walking tour. St. Johnsbury is renowned for its Victorian architecture, and this calendar shows the town’s finest examples, including the St. Johnsbury Athenaeum, the Fairbanks Museum, several churches, stately homes, and more.
For visitors to the area, it’s a great way to remember some of the highlights of your time here. For local folks, the calendar is sure to feature some of your favorite spots. The calendar costs $12.95 and is available for purchase at Boxcar & Caboose and local banks. It can also be shipped by contacting St. Johnsbury Works, and the total cost including packaging and shipping is $15.95. You can also receive a calendar when you become a member of St. Johnsbury Works for $50 (includes other benefits as well).
And save some time and money by shopping in downtown St. Johnsbury with
the new Smart Shopper card. When you present the card at stores that display the Smart Shopper Card decal, you’ll receive a discount. The discount varies by store. Click here to see a list of all the participating stores and the discount offered. The card is good through October 2009.
The Smart Shopper Card looks like a credit card and can be purchased for $10 at some of the participating stores -- Uniquity, Boxcar & Caboose, Paddy Cakes and Candy, Frogs & Lily Pads, AquaRealm, Natural Provisions, and Kingdom Outdoors. Other businesses participating in the program include Mayo’s Furniture, Mill River Furniture, Something Special, Wool Away, and All About Flowers.
Become a shopping localvore! Shop downtown St. Johnsbury!
Your local shopping dollar will go even further if you use St. Johnsbury's Smart Shopper Card. Participating downtown merchants in St. Johnsbury offer great discounts to shoppers who present the Smart Shopper Card when they make a purchase.
The Smart Shopper Card looks like a credit card and can purchased for $10 at some of the participating stores -- Uniquity, Boxcar & Caboose, Paddy Cakes, Frogs & Lily Pads, Aqua Realm, Natural Provisions, and Kingdom Outdoors. Other businesses participating in the program include Mayo’s Furniture, Mill River Furniture, Something Special, Wool Away, and All About Flowers.
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| Jane Rowe (l.) purchasing Smart Shopper Card from Uniquity's Libby Welch |
The Smart Shopper Card program was developed by St. Johnsbury Works, to encourage local shoppers to buy from merchants in town. According to Linda Fogg, Director of St. Johnsbury Works, the discount program is based on a similar program in Boulder, Colorado. “I learned about it at a seminar,” Linda says, “and I thought it could work in St. Johnsbury, too.” Linda says the response from both merchants and shoppers has been terrific. "It has really brought new business to local stores, and people love getting the discounts!
“At a time when the economy is tight for everyone,” says Linda, “We hope the Smart Shopper Card will help folks stretch their budgets a little further.”
For more information about the card contact Linda Fogg at 748-7121 or visit the Smart Shopper page.
Happy Birthday St. J. Co-op!
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| (l to r) General Manager Michel Lurie, Education & Outreach Director Melissa Bridges, Board President Carol A |
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The Co-op’s goals are the same today as they were at the start: to provide healthy, affordable, local food where everyone can shop. “We are a full-service grocery store,” says Bridges, “With fresh produce and dairy items, frozen foods, bulk foods, meats, chicken and fish, general grocery items, cleaning supplies, wine and beer, vitamins and supplements. What’s on our shelves is what our customers want, from everyday items to specialty foods.”
With the increased interest in food issues and the environmental impact of transporting food, the Co-op serves a very important purpose for many people in the area. “Michael’s Pollan’s writings have alerted people to the need for organic and locally-produced food,” says Adams. “When you buy chicken or strawberries in the Co-op, we let you know what farm they came from, and usually, those farms are very nearby.”
The Co-op board is pleased to report that the store is doing well. “We’re doing 20 times more business than we did just five years ago,” says Bridges. “But we’re really looking forward to the future of the Co-op. We are trying to keep prices affordable, which is hard these days. Becoming a member, and especially a working member, is a great way to lower the cost of your food and still be able to eat the high quality products available here.”
What’s New on Eastern Avenue?
Retail streets change all the time. St. Johnsbury’s own Eastern Avenue houses a wide variety of stores and businesses, from brokerage firms CitiFinancial and A.G. Edwards at the top of the hill, to clothing shops Elizabeth’s Large Size Fashions and Sunshine Boutique down at the bottom of the slope. And in between, there are lots of new things happening – businesses changing hands, new shops and services, stores moving. Let’s take a little stroll up Eastern Avenue…
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| "Wesley" and Susannah |
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| Carolyn Cross |
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| Suzanne Geoffroy |
Jaboh Too, another beauty salon a few doors away, has a
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| Beverly Hood |
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| Bringing spring at All About Flowers |
All this activity, and we've just walked up ONE side of the street (right-hand side, as you're walking uphill)! Go ahead and stroll up or down Eastern Avenue and discover for yourself what's new there!
Shopping Directory
Boxcar & Caboose Bookshop and Cafe
394 Railroad St., Suite 2
St. Johnsbury VT 05819
802 748 3551
boxcarandcaboose.com
Biggest bookshop in the Kingdom. Full service coffee and espresso bar.
Mill River Furniture & Sleep Source Mattress Gallery
166 Railroad St.
St. Johnsbury VT 05819
748 1515
R&J's Full Service Meat Market
462 Railroad St.
St. Johnsbury VT 05819
802 748 4253
Specializing in homemade sausages and a full line of Boar's Head brand cold cuts
Shunshine Boutique and Jewelers
17 Eastern Ave Ste 1
St Johnsbury VT 05819
802-748-2933
The Bread Box
Main Street
St. Johnsbury Vermont 05819
626 0946
Artistic Gardens
Memorial Drive
St. Johnsbury VT 05819
748 5636
artisticgardens.com
Kingdom Outdoors
452 Railroad Street
St. Johnsbury VT 05819
802-748-3433
kingdomoutdoors.com
Mayo's Furniture & Floor Covering
802 Railroad Street
St. Johnsbury VT 05819
802-748-8725
Natural Provisions
537 Railroad Street
St. Johnsbury VT 05819
802-748-3587
www.naturalprovisionsvt.com
Northeast Kingdom Artisans Guild & Gallery
430 Railroad Street
St. Johnsbury VT 05819
802-748-0158
nekartisansguild.com
St. J. Food Co-op
490 Portland St.
St. Johnsbury VT 05819
802 748 9498
stjfoodcoop.com
The White Market
385 Portland St.
St. Johnsbury VT 05819
802 748 5099
www.whitesmarket.com
Uniquity
443 Railroad Street
St. Johnsbury VT 05819
802-748-1912
Wool Away
443 Railroad St.
St. Johnsbury VT 05819
748 5099
www.wool-away.com