The Village of Central Lake is tucked into a valley in Antrim County, Michigan. Farms and orchards spread over the rolling hills that rise above it. During the summer visitors fill the cabins and campgrounds along its Chain of Lakes. The people have staying power. A fourth generation has just taken over at Bachmann’s. The Inn is refurbished and open once more. The high school girls basketball team is a powerhouse. People get married at the 127-year-old First Congregational Church and buried from Mortensen’s Funeral Home. The cemetery is dotted with the graves of Civil War veterans and homesteaders and their descendants. And every year the little downtown is full of families enjoying Window Night.
First we admire the shop windows.
Window Night - Treasure Chest
Window Night - The Beauty Bar
Window Night - Alden Bank and Auto Care
Window Night - Central Foods
Then we head for the excellent treats . . .
There’s a bake sale at the Masonic Hall–the Lionesses made truffles and decorated cookies this year. Adams Madams put on a spread, the Treasure Chest had handmade candies and coffee, and there was free hot chocolate on the corner.
Heading into the Masonic Hall for the bake sale
Customers sample sweet treats at the Treasure Chest
Joyce Turner unwraps treats at Adams Madams
. . . and excellent adventures.
The little kids line up to see Santa, and everybody lines up for rides on the fire trucks and the horse-drawn hay wagon.
We make Fashion Statements.
It is important to be dressed appropriately for these special occasions.
The window at Adams Madams, where dogs--and their owners--are always welcome
A good bus driver is always equipped with safety lighting
And oh yes, we manage to do a little shopping too.
With all that going on, it is still pleasant to stroll from shop to shop, selecting special presents for special people. That deserves a whole post of its own, and it shall have it.
Torch Lake Views 
P.j. grath
December 10, 2011
Horses! Dogs! Santa! Cookies! I think Central Lake definitely hit the high points. When next I’m near a faster signal and can see the rest of your photos, I’ll have a more complete picture. Well, that and the special presents part you haven’t posted yet.
Gerry
December 11, 2011
I am sorry. I should have picked just six photos. But I’m glad you saw the horses.
Dawn
December 10, 2011
That all looks so nice…so real…so warm (even on a cold night)…community is such a great thing, worth the effort to preserve!
Gerry
December 11, 2011
There is a lot to love in Central Lake. Window Night is a classic.
Kathy
December 11, 2011
It is nice to re-visit Central Lake for a few moments, and to pause beside long-ago memories of this town. It looks like it would be a wonderful place to visit at this time of year.
Gerry
December 11, 2011
Hello, Kathy – I’m glad it brought back some memories. I am very fond of Central Lake pretty much any time of year, but I’m a fool for Window Night.
Cheri Sell
December 11, 2011
Thank you for the tour of Window night. You brightened my day.
Gerry
December 11, 2011
I’m glad – Window Night was a bright spot in my week.
Joss
December 13, 2011
Here the equivalent occasion is on Saturday at the start of December, when all the shops put out extra stalls and decorations, and there are carol singers and roasting chestnuts etc … only it’s in the DAYTIME! We’ve missed a trick there. The lights don’t look nearly so great then.
Gerry
December 13, 2011
We did have carol singers but I don’t think we had any roasting chestnuts. Maybe next year.
isathreadsoflife
December 14, 2011
So much to see on your Window Night ! See and taste and experience. Meet people and share the fun. We used to have Window Night in one another’s home for the whole month of December. A particular window each night, beautifully decorated: people would come and admire then eat, drink hot Winter tea and sing if they felt like it. We would gather around a “brasero” and enjoy some convivial moments in a dark Winter night but for the lit up window. Thanks for all those lovely images.
Gerry
December 14, 2011
Your Window Night sounds perfectly wonderful. Convivial moments are, I think, the whole point of holidays. Well, that and the treats of course. Thank you for the lovely word pictures.
Giiid
December 14, 2011
I agree with Isa, there are so many interesting things to comment at this post. It all look very inviting, I can´t think of any arrangement around here just half as cozy, except for the Christmas market at Tivoli.
Window night is new to me, I haven´t seen that before. We have a “culture night” in october, but that is another story. I hope “Window night” will become a tradition here, too, it looks good.
I noticed that you mentioned Mortensen, it is an old Danish name, “Morten´s son”. I just looked it up; there are about 30.000 in Denmark with that name at the moment. Sorry, this doesn´t have much to do with your Window night, but your posts usually take me on a tour in many different and interesting directions. I better stop before a new subject comes up.
(I am jealous of all these nice treats you get, there are to little treats in this country.)
Gerry
December 14, 2011
I’m glad you enjoyed Window Night in Central Lake. I had a good time myself. Very peaceful.
I’ve spent a lot of time visiting Denmark through your eyes, and it seems to me that I have seen many cozy holiday customs, including darling tiny children entranced by Christmas, bloggers at wonderful concerts, and quite a few excellent treats.
(I sort of associate excellent treats, especially butter cookies, with my Scandinavian ancestors. Lots of Danes and Swedes and Norwegians came to this part of the world during the lumbering era. It wouldn’t surprise me at all to learn that the Michigan Mortensens have Danish ancestors. Perhaps they brought more than their share of the butter cookies with them?)