Nobly Jumping into Christmas OR Gonna Be a Cold Time in the Olde Town Tonight!

Like many good-sized cities in the midwest, Noblesville, Indiana has a couple large shopping centers with restaurant chains, clothing chains, and, you guessed it, grocery chains.

And yes, I totally go there to buy things.

But I also drive right by them and head down the narrower, bumpier streets to Ye Olde Historic Downtown Noblesville.

With a town hall befitting the prefix"Ye Olde"

On this square and the streets around it there are no chain shops. Just a bunch of restaurants, shoppes, a coffee shop, a few bars, etcetera, etcetera.

The square is built in the old town style, with a town hall in the center and a street running around the edges.

Because no one rubs shoulders with the town hall!

Astute readers will notice the pictures are taken at night, which is a departure from my normal style of daytime photos.

It's because I'm getting the jump on enjoying Christmas and beating December to the punch.

The calm, peaceful kind of beating to the punch.

On this particular night the cold and weekday-ness had driven many people away from the streets of the town square, giving me a wonderful time to take photos, enjoy the serenity, and freeze my buttocks off.

Also marvel at the slightly creepy decorations.
...What is it about Christmas and slightly creepy decorations?

The square put on a good show, the old-school buildings peacefully basking in the glow.

Well, the judicial center loomed in the shadows...
...but judicial centers do that.

But the other buildings cooperated, and I spent some time enjoying the calm.

Even I think this looks to smooth to be real...
...and I was there.

Antique buildings with antique shoppes selling antiques.
...How meta.

And, of course, like all Historic Squares there was the kitsch.

Behold! I bring you tidings of great kitsch!

But even the kitsch was kept to a low tasteful key, and the light decorations followed suite.

I have a particular fondness for light arrangements, and I found these picturesquely impressive.

No captions here. Just enjoy the lights.

And, because it's an old town square at Christmas, there's the requisite Santa corner.

The "shed" is clearly an entrance to a top secret underground toy factory.

There was even an informative plaque! In this case, it informed me how incredibly busy Santa is this time of year.

Informative!
Also: "Make it quick, kid, Santa's due at a mall in ten minutes!"

But that's okay. Because if he wasn't there, you could always leave him a letter in his personal mailbox. As a kid this be pretty frikkin awesome to use.

Especially since with the volume of mail he gets this mailbox
must surely be some sort of top secret teleportation device.

One of the hardest adjustments I have every year is finding that moment when I fully enter into the spirit of the season. When I was a kid it started with my mother playing Christmas Carols. When I was older it started when I began performing Christmas songs, in college it started when I came home for Christmas break...

...But I'm all grown up now (so they tell me), and since I have no kids yet, Christmas pretty much starts whenever I get around to getting into the spirit of the thing.

And honestly? A quick visit to a quiet town square that night was enough. My heart was warmed despite my fingers being frozen, far more than several days of Christmas carols in chain stores could ever do.

(Though I will admit that chain stores have central heating...)

So thanks, Noblesville Historic Downtown, for reminding me of Christmas with the right blend of class and kitsch.

Pictured: Class.

And also for reminding me that in every setting, there is always a place to embrace the tackiness.

Pictured: Glowing hot pink and creepy mannequin.
I'm not saying it's tacky, but...
...Okay, maybe a little.

Bring it on, Christmas.