Great Route 64-84 Holiday Shop Hop

More than 30 shops on the Great Route 64/84 Holiday Shop Hop display their festive best for you Fridays and Saturdays, November 2 and 3, and again November 9 and 10. Hours 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. This year Thomson joins the towns of Lanark, Mount Carroll, Savanna and Fulton in a cooperative effort to offer quality craftsmanship in the friendly surrounds of small town shops.

Start in Lanark on Highway 64 where shop owners welcome you with antiques, holiday décor, barn wood furnishings, handmade crafts, and fresh cut wreathes and trees. Continue west on Highway 64 to Mount Carroll where you will find vintage clothing, home furnishings, collectibles and a craft mall. The downtown offers glass studios, art studios, a coffee shop, and wine shop, while on the north side of town a cottage store filled with quilts and primitive crafts awaits your visit.

Then it is on to Rt. 84 and Savanna, where you will find a doll shop and floral and gift stores. Proceed to new shops in Thomson featuring ceramics, gifts, and a quaint cafe. Finish in Fulton where more antiques await along with a quilt store, Christian bookstore, tree farm, floral and gift shops, and an art and jewelry boutique.

The Great Route 64/84 Shop Hop, a local happening each November, continues to grow. New shops this year include CDG Ceramics in Thomson offering snowmen, santas, glass blocks and many decorative items. Heirloom Market, also in Thomson, offers gifts, crafts, food, books, and in their cafe, gourmet coffee, a lunch menu and desserts. In Mt. Carroll, BSD Printing joins the Hop with West Carroll school apparel and other assorted garments. Schneider House Furniture and Floor Covering join this year with art and accessories in addition to furnishings.

New to this year’s list of stops at www.bwcvb.com/shophop are participating restaurants including Brothers Restaurant in Lanark with great food and daily specials, and Bella’s Food and Spirits in Mt. Carroll featuring upscale dining with wine list and craft beers. Market Street Commons in Mt. Carroll is an additional food stop with coffee, bistro sandwiches and ice cream.

So mark your calendars for the first two Fridays and Saturdays in November and get a jump on your holiday shopping while enjoying the hospitality of small town stores and specialty shops. Hours for the Hop are 9:00 am to 5:00 pm all four days.

The many shops on the Holiday Hop work together to offer varied and unique selections in a small town shopping experience. Come do your holiday shopping where cooperative spirits and warm hearts welcome you as friends! Find shop descriptions and maps at www.bwcvb.com/shophop or call Heather at 815-589-4545.