Photo-Left : A Santa Claus ’ s workshop holiday display at O ’ Hara ’ s Hardware in Ottumwa . The store puts together three holiday-themed displays per year , and usually begins brainstorming ideas for the next year just after Christmas ends .
Karen Phillips / Submitted photo
One would think the store would run out of ideas for its displays — O ’ Hara has done everything from a Victorian theme , to snowmen to Disney themes and train themes .
“ I mean , anything you could think of , we ’ ve done ,” she said . “ Often , we ’ re not 100 % sure what we ’ re going to do until we get started . So really , we just kind of add to it as we go . We actually just try to come up with an idea that people will enjoy and have fun with . And each year we always think , ‘ Oh , how could it ever be better than this ?’ And then we love it even more .”
The brain-storming session for the this year ’ s displays began almost immediately after Christmas , Phillips said . It ’ s typically a six-month process from the formative stages to the final decision in June .
And , like every year , Phillips was coy about this year ’ s displays . The unknown is baked into the O ’ Hara business model ; the business is busiest in the fourth quarter around the holiday season , with a big assist coming from the displays .
“ We sell live Christmas trees as well ,” Phillips said . “ And so over the years we ’ ve had families that have been here maybe visiting other family members for Thanksgiving and stuff . They ’ ll come from Kansas City , or Omaha and Illinois . They come just to see the decorations , and it really has become a tradition for a lot of folks .”
However , the fun isn ’ t just inside the building . The reindeer have been a mainstay for about the last 45 years , Phillips said , as children and families have an opportunity to view them in the pens next to the building .
“ Actually , the reindeer come from the North Pole ,” Phillips said flatly . “ They come in mid-November , like the second week of November , and they ’ re here every weekend through Christmas Eve , when they return to the North Pole .”
Asked if the family ownership ever envisioned 47 years ago if the displays would be as popular as they ’ ve become , Phillips can say with a fair amount of certainty that it couldn ’ t .
“ I don ’ t think they ever imag-
Photo-Top : A campground holiday display at O ’ Hara ’ s Hardware in Ottumwa . Each year the store features three displays of various themes . The project has evolved since the store opened its doors at its current location in 1974 .
Karen Phillips / Submitted photo
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