• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

ObserverWV

Local News & Events in Jefferson County WV

  • Home
  • Newsletter Signup
  • Print Issues

Primary Sidebar

Latest Stories

Jefferson County Fair 2025 Gallery

Charles Town Dedicates African American Cemetery

Jefferson County Development Authority Gets New Board Members

Shepherdstown Celebrates Appalachian Heritage

Chamber Music Festival Connects Appalachia & The World

Electric Company To Share Details Of New Transmission Line

CTUB And American Water Present Service Area Arguments At Public Service Commision Hearing

County Commission Holds Ribbon Cutting At New Government Buildings

Preparing For Disasters: Local Alerts & Training

Local Intervenors Added To Middleway Bottling Plant Lawsuit

Blake Solar Project: State Issues Fine For Repeated Stormwater Violations  

County Commission Plans For Growth With Purchase Of New Buildings

Read all stories

A 50 Year Holiday Tradition Continues — Olde Tyme Christmas Adapts in Harpers Ferry and Bolivar

November 20, 2020 Tagged With: Christmas, family fun, Harpers Ferry Olde Tyme Christmas

The large A&P grocery store ad on page A-5 of the December 2 issue of The Spirit of Jefferson-Farmers Advocate from 1971 brings back memories. Four loaves of bread for a dollar, pork chops at $1.09 per pound, but also a note from the grocer apologizing for having been out of stock on so many items and celebrating a “Back to Normal … Sell-O-Bration” — it was a year of economic turmoil, with the Nixon administration imposing wage and price controls in an ill-conceived attempt to control inflation. The article above the advertisement notes that the stores of Harpers Ferry, described as a “quaint old village,” will be illuminated by candlelight, and “clerks will wear period costumes and carolers will stroll the street” for an “Old Fashioned Christmas” event.

Inflation has been up and down, bread is now closer to four dollars per loaf, and the last A&P store closed in 2015, but Harpers Ferry and Bolivar have been remarkably consistent in celebrating Christmas every year for the past five decades. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced some changes this year, but the Merchants Association is keeping the tradition alive.

Events are currently scheduled for the weekends of December 5-6 and 12-13, including craft demonstrations, wagon tours, costumed performers strolling the streets in Lower Town, and visits (at a distance) with Santa & Mrs. Claus in the gazebo in Upper Town.

For current schedule and details, visit the website for Harpers Ferry’s Olde Tyme Christmas.

By Staff Contributor

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email

Related

We encourage our readers to contact The Observer to suggest topics, events, artists, musicians, craft-persons, businesses, or restaurants you want us to feature. Use the contact form or email Connect@ObserverWV.com.

Footer

Topics

  • Community
  • Economy & Environment
  • Government
  • Events & Activities

Sightline Stories

  • Solar in Jefferson County
  • Remembering Hartstown

Quick Links

  • Jefferson Weekly
  • WV Perspectives
  • Nature
  • Local History

The Observer

  • About
  • Advertise
  • Connect With Us
  • Print Issues
  • Terms of Use

Follow Us

  • Facebook

Copyright © 2025 WV Independent Observer LLC · Log in