Holmes County Hospice to benefit from Christmas Cookie Tour of Inns event
By Jennifer Kneuss
Within the borders of Holmes County lie many treasures, as any visitor can tell you. However, certain jewels shine particularly brightly during the Christmas season. Such is the case with the lovely inns that the area is so well known.
This season, 10 of these guest favorites will open their doors to tourists and local residents alike during a very special event – the second annual Christmas Cookie Tour of Inns. During the Dec. 6 event, the inns will be decorated in their best holiday finery, as they welcome visitors with a glimpse into their unique ways of celebrating Christmas. A progressive cookie tasting will be offered as guests move from one inn to another, and recipes for all cookies served will be provided in the souvenir guide book included with each admission.
In the spirit of Christmas giving, 100 percent of the tour proceeds will go to Hospice of Holmes County, to assist in their ongoing efforts to provide compassionate, end-of-life care to patients and their families.
Loretta Coblentz, owner of The Barn Inn and a member of the Amish Country Lodging Council, is delighted to be a part of this unique community event. “Last year was very successful. We were actually able to give $1,000 to Hospice. We know Holmes County is beautiful this time of year. We have created this event to give people a special experience, a holiday experience,” she said. “And Hospice is a charity everyone wants to give to…we can all identify with those who lose family members. I can tell you, it is almost a magical night when you go from inn to inn. It puts you in a totally different mood, and it’s a time of fellowship as well.”
A highlight of the cookie tour is that well-known northeastern Ohio chef Bev Shaffer, cookbook author, and Mustard Seed’s director of cooking schools, will be on location at the Carlisle Inn in Walnut Creek. Shaffer will be signing copies of her cookbook, Cookies to Die For!, which will be available for purchase, and will be offering baking tips to visitors.
“We are inviting all of the local community to come in, and support Hospice of Holmes County. We are promoting it to anyone outside the region as well,” explained Bonnie Coblentz, marketing coordinator for the Holmes County Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Bureau. “The other thing that we had a lot of participants praise us for last year was that people loved getting ideas for decorating from visiting the inns. Each inn has its own unique style of holiday decorating. It’s a great opportunity to come in and get ideas. This year we’re putting an emphasis on reusing items to decorate, with a green take…being thrifty for decorating, using unusual items. For instance, Andrew Black, at Hilltop Manor, decorated by wrapping boxes in embossed white wallpaper. They were just gorgeous! Other ideas include reusing Christmas cards. I know The Barn Inn is reusing old plant stands that are painted and used for Christmas displays. Loretta Coblentz is making a special Christmas quilt to put on display there. Hopefully, some of the other inns will have other surprise things that we don’t even know about yet!”
Participating inns include the Carlisle Inn in Walnut Creek, Lamplight Inn Bed & Breakfast, the Barn Inn, Inn at Honey Run, Guggisberg Swiss Inn, Hilltop Manor, Berlin Hotel & Suites, Inn at Amish Door, Comfort Suites Berlin, and Zinck’s Inn.
The Christmas Cookie Tour of Inns will take place on Sunday, Dec. 6, from 1-7 p.m. Tickets are $20 for adults and $12 for children, and will include a souvenir booklet and a chance to win a $150 gift certificate for an overnight stay at one of the participating inns. Many inns will also offer cookies and candies for purchase. To order tickets, go to www.christmascookietourofinns.com or contact the Holmes County Chamber and Tourism Bureau office at 330-674- 3975.
