Places

A black men's trench coat that hung in Nora Bloom's Antiques in Georgetown, Colorado, was 100 percent wool, made in London, and had a Marshall Field's label - one of the historic names in department store legacies. When it was new, it probably sold for $500 or more.

At Nora's, somewhat of an indoor flea market, it was going for $10 as it hung next to a few Brooks Brothers tan dinner coats of the same caliber and price snapped up from an estate sale. It was slightly more than the average price of Georgetown Christmas Market's most popular good during the holiday - the classic ornament ($8.95) from The Shoppe Internationale. And while it meets the price requirements of most white elephant party gifts (never more than $10), it's doubtful any fashionista could part with it.

The novelty of Georgetown Christmas Market is in the 15-minute horse and wagon rides through town for $3, the outdoor caroling, the ornaments that average $8.95 each in The Shoppe, and the turkey legs the men can't wait to eat ($6). The Christmas market event runs the first two weekends of each December and next year celebrates its 50th year (more info at www.historicgeorgetown.com).

This year, shoppers also savored the Red Ram Mixers company's hot buttered rum, a mix selling for $6 each or two for $10, the later being the most popular option (redrammixers.com). Also popular was the Nuts To You, another vendor who sold more than 15 flavors of candied almonds, one of which is cherry amaretto (www.nuts-to-you.com). The Nuts To You store was also selling lattes for $2.

A Coke float that could have cost $4.50 was $2 at the End of the Line Soda Fountain, established in 1901, after the soda fountain ladies knocked it down to the $2 hot chocolate price. Temperatures on Georgetown Christmas Market weekends are low and the wind chill outside is lower. Chestnuts are literally roasted on an open fire outdoors. And vendors sell chili and quiche. The thought of eating outside in the cold is made possible by the hay bales next to the outdoor fire.

Shoppers should take half a day, if they've got it, to let the soda fountain ladies tell all of the dirt on the interesting stories of Georgetown. Sitting at that historic shop is likely the break shoppers might most remember of any mountain town.

So what is the white elephant gift anyway? Is it a bottle of wine? An ornament? A flea market buy? Something from the bottom of your closet? Or that set of ugly green coffee mugs you got at a Christmas party last year? The answer is yes to all of them. At parties that are annual there are usually one or two items that get passed every year, that are typically wrapped in a peculiar way, and that every attendee expects to see.

In Georgetown, similar to many mountain towns, shoppers don't have to look far to find the white elephant gift that is personal, or even historic. And the trip to get it is always remembered.

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Image of Marshall Field's coat via Jeff Johnson

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