Market Place Village Gets Set For Holiday Stroll

It's that time of year again - the one where business owners at Market Place Village decorate our little community for Christmas and get ready for the Holiday Stroll.

Last year, some of our decorations were ruined by a scrooge who felt holiday decorating wasn't for him, so we changed our ideas. This year, each shop is doing its own decorating and visitors get to vote on the best and the worst!  

I love walking down the cobblestone paths when the snow is gently falling and the little lights are twinkling under a blanket of white. This Saturday, Dec. 3, you, too, can visit and get a special card punched at each participating shop for a chance to win a basket of gifts for the holidays. You can also get warm with some hot cider and snacks.

I can't tell you how many people who live in Oak Creek finally find our hidden treasure of shops and exclaim their surprise with "I never knew this was here!" This village has been here since 1971. I used to visit here way back then. I dreamed of having my own shop here. Thirty years later, dreams come true.

We are tucked behind what looks like old-fashioned condos from the road - Highway 32 & Puetz Road - but inside is a special treat. The village was designed after a European idea, where artists had studios/shops and lived above them, and was very new to the Milwaukee area.

The faces have changed over the years and shops have come and gone, but we have a core group that is trying to revitalize the shops and make it a destination. In the summer, you can sit and knit outside the shop at the umbrella tables (I find many a spouse waiting patiently for shopping wives sitting there).

So take a moment this Saturday and visit each shop, get your card punched, have some warming drinks and snacks and support local small business. We are here for the best personal service. Come in a customer and leave as a friend.

Again: Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Highway 32 and Puetz Road.