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The Holiday Spirit is Alive and Well in Newark, Ohio

By Marilyn Loeser

With a population just shy of 50,000, Newark, Ohio has small town friendliness with big city attractions. For anyone wanting to find a peaceful getaway complete with interesting museums and historic sites, Newark has much to offer. And, during the holidays the city reflects all the charm of the North Pole — without sub-zero temperatures.

Your first step to a perfect holiday getaway is the precise accommodations to fit all your needs.

Cherry Valley Lodge has much to offer and is decorated to the nines during the holidays. Countless holidays trees, wreaths, animated décor and themed weekend packages make this the ideal home away from home between Thanksgiving and New Years Day.

The cavernous lobby — with its twin fireplaces — features visions-of-sugar-plums Christmas trees and plenty of seating space for relaxing and reminiscing with old and new friends.

A full-service dining room and lounge, indoor and outdoor pools, spa, exercise room, half-court basketball court and other sports facilities, and a children’s playground add to the appeal of this rural setting. A game room and Internet access also are available.

The Arboretum

Cherry Valley Lodge is the nation's only hotel designated as an official Arboretum and Botanical Garden by the American Association for Arboreta and Botanical Gardens.

Take time to wander through the gardens no matter what time of year you visit. During my stay, the gardens were illuminated with white lights and the ever-present mallard ducks splashing in the frigid water. During the daytime, their feathers gleam in the winter sunshine.

The arboretum features rare, heirloom and native plants and wildlife. More than 2,000 plantings and some 400 species brings back the tradition of wandering in the woods or through a garden to discover botanical treasures.

The grounds also are designed to attract wildlife with bird houses and feeders, and a butterfly garden in summer.

Dawes Arboretum helped Cherry Valley Lodge establish the arboretum. Located just five miles from the lodge, Dawes Arboretum opens the country home of arboretum co-founders Beman and Bertie Dawes — Daweswood — during the holiday season. Filled with 19th and early 20th century antiques, collectibles and photographs, guests learn about this amazing family and the legacy they left to the citizens of Licking County.
Daweswood House Museum tours are conducted Saturdays and Sundays, 3:15 to 4:15 p.m.

The Davis-Shai House in nearby Heath is a Gothic Revival home featuring steeply pitched roofs and the distinctive cutout "gingerbread" bargeboards.

Jackson Davis built the home in 1861 along the Ohio and Erie Canal. The home was sold to the Shai family in 1945. Fifty years later when the house and adjoining land was sold to developers, the house was donated to the City of Heath and now serves the community as a museum and meeting place.

Throughout the holidays, special events are held. At the popular Fireside Shopping Breaks, lunch and entertainment provides a break from the hustle and bustle of the season. The Teddy Bear Christmas Tea is a delight for children over the age of five, their teddy bears and adult companions. Tea, sandwiches, desserts and scones are served along with a souvenir and entertainment.

The Charles Dickens Christmas Tea also includes tea, sandwiches, desserts, scones and a souvenir. Rounding out the holiday fare is A Victorian Christmas Open House. The home is decorated for the season and house tours, entertainment, horse-drawn carriage and wagon rides, exhibits, and hot spiced cider and donuts combine to create wonderful holiday memories.              

The National Heisey Glass Museum offers a Holiday Open House every December. The Museum is owned and operated by the Heisey Collectors of America and is located in Veterans Park in downtown Newark. It houses more than 4,500 pieces of glassware produced by A. H. Heisey & Company in Newark from 1896-1957.

Visitors will find breathtaking arrangements of Heisey glassware featuring hundreds of patterns and all known colors. Elegant cuttings, etchings and engravings, as well as experimental pieces are exhibited.

The museum is located in the historic Samuel D. King residence, an 1831 Greek Revival style home, and a new wing added in 1993 to house two large galleries, a media center and archives facility.

There are several other attractions to take in during a visit to Newark, but number one on your holiday list should be the courthouse.

The Christmas Courthouse has been a Licking County tradition since 1949. The annual holiday courthouse lighting is the official start of the holiday season in the Newark area.

Supported completely by donations, The Lighting Committee organizes the arrival of Santa and a musical program the day after Thanksgiving. Depending on funds raised during the year, the committee determines to what extent the Courthouse and grounds will be decorated.

In the heart of Ohio, there’s a lot of “Ho, ho, ho!”

For more information check the following websites: http://www.lccvb.com and www.cherryvalleylodge.com.

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