Holiday Haven
To that end , walking into the Country Christmas Loft , one steps into a fantastical world of festive wonder . Each room of the store is carefully curated to evoke a different aspect of the Christmas season , and the layout is marvelous . Before stepping inside , guests are immediately greeted by a Swiss chalet-style entrance . Upon entry , one will find the checkout counter to the right , which is fashioned from a replica of a classic New England covered bridge . To the left , a charming red barn archway invites guests into the heart of the store ’ s wraparound retail rooms . “ The barn , complete with a singing , animatronic cow named Bessie , was one of the first things we fixed when we took over the shop ,” says Steve Mayfield . “ The original owners didn ’ t use any blueprints when
22 VERMONT MAGAZINE they built this place . It was all done by looking at Polaroids of actual buildings throughout New England , and the carpenters recreated them from scratch . That ’ s why everything feels so authentic . The animatronics here are over 40 years old . Nobody repairs them anymore , so we had to learn to fix them ourselves .”
As one of the standout animatronic features at Country Christmas Loft , Bessie the Singing Cow has delighted generations of visitors . “ Bessie sings , ‘ We Wish You a Dairy Christmas ,’” Steve says with a laugh . “ It ’ s one of those quirky little things that people remember and come back to see .” Other animatronics include Stumpy the Tree , who once bantered with Bessie across the aisle , and a variety of other woodland creatures and carolers that add to the whimsical atmosphere . “ The animatronics are like little pieces of moving art ,” Steve notes . “ They bring so much life to the store , and no matter how many times someone has seen them , they still bring a smile to their face .”
Walking past the covered bridge and barn archway through the center of the store , one is transported into what Steve calls “ The Village ,” a two-story , 2,000-square-foot walking village modeled after historic New England buildings . Guests can peek into the windows of these miniature buildings to see animated scenes in action , from a baker rolling dough to carolers singing on a snowy street corner . “ Every building in the village is based on