Walking in Wonder

Fluffy snowflakes covering the hills and valleys in and around Galena, Illinois, create a picture of serenity that feels scripted for the cinema. There’s even a built-in soundtrack of children’s laughter coupled with the sound of snow crunching underfoot.

The magic is thanks to Galena’s annual Night of the Luminaria and Living Windows event, hosted on the second Saturday in December along and around the city’s Main Street. Volunteers hand-light some 5,000 luminaries that line sidewalks, stairways and streets, and local business owners create one-of-a-kind live window scenes to the delight of visitors.

“It really is that Hallmark-esque scene that you see in movies,” said Rose Noble of her hometown. “It’s sentimental, traditional — it’s what you think Christmas should be."

For decades, residents and visitors alike have enjoyed the luminaria tradition. But about 10 years ago or better, the idea of adding the Living Windows exhibit came to fruition. “Each year, more windows are signing up to be part of it,” said Noble, president of Galena Country, the local travel and tourism chamber. “A lot of locals and visitors go downtown to see the windows, and there’s this innocence about it, this great holiday vibe.”

Much of the city’s architecture, dating back to the 1800s has been preserved, Noble said, and the storefronts now housed in the buildings are locally owned, “mom and pop shops.”

“It really feels like an event you can’t get anywhere else.”

“A Stars Hollow Feel”

As a young person growing up in Galena, Alana Turner remembers the excitement of each luminaria season.

Now as the owner of Poopsie’s Gifts and Toys, Turner and her team create that wonder for guests. She likened it to the types of festivals depicted in the fictional town of Stars Hollow, from the popular television show “Gilmore Girls.”

“Nostalgia plays a big part in it,” Turner said. “Some people get carolers in period clothing, because the town is so historic, the exteriors feel old time.

“At our shop every year we try to think about how to grab people’s attention with something really funny or really sentimental,” she said.

Feelings that resonate with the young, and the young at heart.

“There’s a lot of magic to it. The whole charm of Galena is that ‘step-back-in-time’ feel,” Turner said. “You feel like a kid again.”

Fluffy snowflakes covering the hills and valleys in and around Galena, Illinois, create a picture of serenity that feels scripted for the cinema. There’s even a built-in soundtrack of children’s laughter coupled with the sound of snow crunching underfoot. The magic is thanks to Galena’s annual Night of the Luminaria and Living Windows event, hosted on the second Saturday in December along and around the city’s Main Street. Volunteers hand-light some 5,000 luminaries that line sidewalks, stairways and streets, and local business owners create one-of-a-kind live window scenes to the delight of visitors.

“It really is that Hallmark-esque scene that you see in movies,” said Rose Noble of her hometown. “It’s sentimental, traditional — it’s what you think Christmas should be.”

Eyes on History

Antiquarians will appreciate a visit to the Ulysses S. Grant Home State Historic Site, another popular stop on the Luminaria walk that has been welcoming visitors for more than a hundred years.

The home was a gift to the Grant family from the townspeople of Galena, after the general returned home from fighting in the Civil War. In 1904, the Grant children returned the home to the care of the city, with the explicit instructions it be used to memorialize their father, who served as the nation’s president from 1869-1877.

According to the site’s organization, the home became a state historic area in the early 1930s. Then, in the mid 1950s, a complete restoration project occurred using the original furnishings that still remained from the family’s time in the home.

Other Galena sites that boast ties to the 18th president include the DeSoto House, which lays claim to being the state’s oldest operating hotel. After Grant’s return to the city after the Civil War, DeSoto House hosted a ball in his honor for the community’s elite. Later, Grant used the hotel as his presidential campaign headquarters. “It’s a charming town with nice little boutiques and merchandise you don’t see in the big box stores,” said Cheryl Newlan, who visited for the first time last year.

“I’m new to this area, and had heard about Galena but had never visited until I moved closer. “The whole town has a welcoming atmosphere ... is quite decorative — small town country friendliness at its best. It’s a beautiful country drive to get there as well,” Newlan said.

Turner said the lure of the luminary is as strong now as it was when she was a young girl. Maybe more so, since she’s made so many new memories through the years.

“I just remember, in late junior high or high school, walking through Grant Park and snow was falling — there was just this peace,” Turner said. “And that’s how it is today. When there’s snow falling on luminary night, it feels like you’re standing inside a snow globe.”

IF YOU GO

DeSoto House
Open year-round Fees: Rates vary 230 S. Main Street Galena, Illinois Phone: (815) 777-0090
For more information: www.desotohouse.com

Night of the Luminaria and Living Windows
4 to 7 pm Saturday, December 11, 2021
Fee: Free Main Street Galena, Illinois Phone: (309) 530-9786
For more information: www.visitgalena.org

Ulysses S. Grant Home State Historic Site
9 am to 4:45 pm Wednesday through Sunday
Fee: $5 adults; $3 children Galena, Illinois
Phone (815) 777-3310
For more information: www.granthome.org