By JoAnn R. Walter —
It’s beginning to look a lot more like Christmas in the Village of Owego, N.Y.
The Historic Owego Marketplace, with help from a local design expert, took on the task of refurbishing 26 wreaths that grace the Village during the holiday season.
The Historic Owego Marketplace (HOM), along with a generous local sponsor, funded the special project.
Granted Designs LLC, based out of Nichols, N.Y., spruced up and gave new life to the wreaths. Work included removing aged and broken ornaments, replacing non-working lights, and giving the greenery a fresh and thorough revamp. The wreaths were then embellished with bright, new red bows, as well as new commercial lights.
Regarding the project, HOM President Pat Hansen excitedly shared, “The wreaths look fantastic,” adding, “The staff at the Village DPW are happy with the results, too, and said they light up nicely.”
Pictured are shoppers along Lake Street in Owego, N.Y. during a previous holiday season. In the foreground is a decorative wreath, one of several that graced the village streets during Christmas. This year, refurbished wreaths are being installed and funded by the Historic Owego Marketplace, as well as a generous local sponsor. (File photo / JoAnn R. Walter)
Grant Lindhorst of Granted Designs LLC explained that they took great care during the entire process.
First, they determined that the existing wreaths were still strong and flexible and could be reused. While fluffing and maneuvering the branches, it was revealed that plenty of the original dark green color existed, so no paint or additional greenery was necessary.
Lindhorst explained, “The new lights we chose are commercial-grade strands of energy-efficient LED ‘steady-lit’ bulbs, which means that if a light burns out, gets broken, or goes missing from a strand, the entire strand will stay lit without damaging the integrity of the strand.”
Lindhorst added that the strands are more densely bulb-ed as well and result in consistent bulb coverage across the wreaths. Repairs will be easier in the future, too, since each wreath has the same type of light strand and is hence compatible with replacements.
Lindhorst also explained that all 26 red bows, made of a waterproof material, were handmade and wired with heavy-gauge aluminum wire, and thus reactivity to salt, which leads to rust, would be minimized.
Pictured is a refurbished wreath on Lake Street in Owego, N.Y. A total of 26 wreaths of two different sizes were recently refurbished and are in the process of being installed throughout the village. (JoAnn R. Walter photo)
To date, the Village DPW has installed a portion of the smaller-sized wreaths, which are roughly 40 inches in diameter. The installation of the larger wreaths, which are 65 inches in diameter, will be completed soon.
The Historic Owego Marketplace thanks the Village DPW staff for their assistance with installing the wreaths on lamp posts in the village, just in time for the Holiday Showcase scheduled on Nov. 15.
The Christmas wreath is a festive accessory of the holiday season, and the Historic Owego Marketplace welcomes all to share in the spirit of this special time of year.
Added to that holiday spirit, the HOM is spearheading the Owego Storefront Window Contest, where customers can vote for the best window to win a prize. For more about this contest, as well as all the activities happening during the holiday season, visit www.owego.org.
Hansen also noted for the future, “HOM is pursuing other upgrades to our village holiday décor that will happen in 2026.”
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