Coolest Small Town

Owego, New York: One of the coolest events in Owego is the museum's annual O'Tannenbaum Holiday Showcase & Auction. Last year they had 142 decorative holiday trees on display. These are not ordinary trees -- they are very, very COOL trees. The museum will give a free tree (or wreath) to anyone willing to decorate it and then donate it back to the museum for display and final auction that runs from early November to the week before Christmas. The proceeds from this fundraiser benefit the non-profit museum. On the last day of the display, there is a "Last Chance to Bid (and see the trees)" Reception. This is free to the public. These are trees you will not see in any other Holiday Display. Last year, Fuddy Duddy's Fudge Factory on Lake Street covered a 6 foot tree with their delicious products (including a favorite: their snack package of popcorn covered in white chocolate and of course every other fudge, nut, or candy product you can think of)! A tree decorated by Hair Color Cafe used a pink feather shawl for garland and very cool modern paper dolls adorned the tree with other feminine touches including a generous supply of certificates for free services such as a facial, manicure, pedicure, hair treatment (you name it). With this fundraiser, the person who places the highest bid on the tree at the final moment of the auction, gets the tree and everything on it and under it so many people are buying the trees as gifts. The Ti-Awahga players tree was decorated with stage props from "A Christmas Story" (their tree toping: what else... a lamp shade)! "Best Buy" covered a tree with electronics for teens and topped it with a remote control airplane. There was an Elvis Presley tree decorated with hound dogs, teddy bears, Elvis ornaments and the tree topping was none other than a battery operated guitar that played Elvis songs). The display included an Irish tree, an art supply tree (compliments of the Artisan Townhouse on Lake Street), a jewelry tree, an office tree, a barber's tree, and a tree decorated by three sisters covered in baskets, bears and berries. An art teacher covered a tree with hand painted bulbs, paint brushes and 5 art lessons (all one needed for a cool get together with friends). Tioga Gardens created a beautifully decorated tree in bronze ornaments and garland covered with certificates offering flowers for every month of the year. There was a tree covered in Ukrainian Eggs made by "The Egg Ladies" (a group that gets together once a month to create these beautiful works of art). There was an Avon tree, an "extreme sports" tree, a tree decorated youthfully with a horse theme from the "Laughing Place" (a very cool toy store in downtown Owego). "Sincerely Yours" also located on Lake Street decorated a tree with collectible mini-shoes and holiday bracelet charms. Another tree was decorated with antique cups and saucers. The tree from the "John Barleycorn Bar and Grill" (a very cool night spot right in town) was covered in beer glass lights and sports ornaments. There was even a Hanna Montana tree (how cool can you get)! Front and Center (a store on Front Street carrying kitchen utensils and every kitchen gadget imaginable in any color you want covered a tree with their product -- this store's stuff is EXTRA cool. Every year the "Hand of Man" on Front Street donates the most gorgeous drop-dead tree and people come into the museum looking for it. This is a store people travel miles to shop at.... it's that cool. And let's not forget Katie's Kreation (who decorated a tree entitled "Christmas with Ewe"... you guessed it...covered in Ewes and tin stars. Our local book store (Riverow) covered their tree in bird ornaments and it looked like a tree one would find on a National Wildlife Federation Christmas card. Every year the event grows in both participants and visitors. And, every year the participants just get more creative and this holiday display is never "same ol - same ol"... it changes every year(cool). After visiting the museum, people will make it a day in Owego by eating lunch (or dinner) at one of Owego's fabulous restaurants (which includes the very cool Jailhouse you may have read about in previous write-ups... you can actually enjoy dinner in a jail cell. After a good meal, visitors can enjoy shopping in the most unique stores on Lake Street, Front Street, Main Street and North Avenue. And, take it from the shop-a-holic that I am: there is no other grouping of stores like this in the U.S.A.... they are each unique and they are all you need to complete your holiday (or other) shopping gift needs. You might not be able to get enough of Owego in one day... so stay the night at the Treadway Inn, Holiday Inn Express, or Hampton Inn (all in one complex and just 2 miles from the center of town) and enjoy another day in America's coolest small town... Owego, New York!