Two buildings on two different Pearl Streets are new to this holiday season. At 308 E. Pearl St. in Batesville, a former hair salon is now Oak & Vine. Owner Marv Thornsberry bought the building in February and turned it into a bar serving bourbon, wine, specialty beers and mixed drinks. His son Connor Thornsberry runs it as general manager. The Batesville Area Chamber of Commerce held its ribbon cutting on Sept. 17, WRBI reported.
Stone Haus sits at 3022 Pearl St. in Oldenburg. It was built in 1845 as Oldenburg's first tavern. Owners Ashley and Amanda Meyer spent more than three years restoring it, according to The Batesville Leader. The plan it reported was a coffee shop, wine bar and German Christmas gift shop, with Christmas decorations up all year, outdoor seating and a second-floor Airbnb. By early August, The Brookville American reported that Stone Haus had officially opened. It took part in the Chamber's Restaurant Week, Oct. 2 to 11, and this December will be its first holiday season since reopening.
Stone Haus also shows up on both towns' holiday lists, and that says a lot about how the season is built. Batesville and Oldenburg share one holiday season, and it peaks over a single Friday and Saturday in early December.
The Batesville List That Crosses Into Oldenburg
The Batesville Area Chamber's 2026 holiday promotion is called "Shop 'Til You Drop." Its list of participating businesses doesn't stop at the city limits. Two of the stops are in Oldenburg: A Beautiful World at 22163 Main St., and Stone Haus. Stone Haus is listed with German incense smokers and a free 8-ounce coffee for Ladies Shopping Night.
Oldenburg's own event, Holidays Under the Spires, lists Stone Haus and A Beautiful World among the shops open that day on its shop page. The same page names The Village Store, Carriage House Antiques, Golden Turtle Trading Center, Schwestern Gallery of Arts, Village Liquor Store and the Sisters of St. Francis Motherhouse. That roster doesn't carry a year, so think of it as the event's usual lineup, not a confirmed 2026 list.
Getting between the two is easy. The event's directions page puts Oldenburg about three miles north of I-74 Exit 149 on IN-229.
The Season at a Glance
| Date | Event | Where | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri., Nov. 13 | Ladies Shopping Night, part of Shop 'Til You Drop | Participating shops in Batesville and Oldenburg | 4 to 8 p.m. |
| Tues., Dec. 1 | Deadline to register a parade entry | Online form | — |
| Fri., Dec. 4 | Community Tree Lighting and Chamber Holiday Parade | Inspiration Park and George/Main Streets | 4 to 8 p.m., parade at 4:30 |
| Sat., Dec. 5 | 24th annual Holidays Under the Spires | Throughout Oldenburg | Schedule not yet posted |
| Sat., Dec. 12 | Annabel's Sweet Treats Christmas open house | 9966 N. Delaware Rd. | 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. |
Three weeks separate Ladies Shopping Night from the parade. Once the parade starts, Batesville's big night and Oldenburg's big day fall within about 24 hours of each other.
Nov. 13 Starts on George Street
Ladies Shopping Night is the first fixed date of the season, and much of it happens within a few doors on East George Street. Three businesses on the Chamber's list share one address, 111 E. George St.: Andrea Designs, Karie's Attic and Walnut Street Variety Shop. Here are the specials posted for that night and the season:
- Walnut Street Variety Shop, 111 E. George St.: gift bags on Ladies Shopping Night, 4 to 8 p.m. Annabel's Sweet Treats is also running a pop-up booth here that night.
- Andrea Designs and Karie's Attic, same address: 10% off purchases.
- Geis Innovations, 11 E. George St.: a $50 bedding box in any size, while supplies last.
- Amack's Well Coffee House, 103 E. George St.: drink specials and a house-made gingerbread latte.
- Batesville Liquor Co., 315 Batesville Shopping Village: a specialty liquor tasting from 5 to 7 p.m. on Nov. 13.
- RomWeber Marketplace, 7 S. Eastern Ave.: a prize drawing, a gift with purchases of $25 or more, and the Ladies Shopping Night after-party with appetizers and drinks.
- Indiana Pet Supply, 120 S. Depot St.: a wheel spin with every purchase for a discount or a prize.
- Candyland Creations & More, 209 S. Main St.: a chocolate treat basket raffle.
- Shoe Sensation, 2010 Cross County Plaza: a "Burrr" basket raffle.
The list goes well past George Street. Concepts Custom Framing & Crafts at 200 N. Walnut St. is giving away a crafting gift basket, and The Old Schubox at 213 N. Walnut St. is raffling a gift card. Bierhaus at the Sherman, Schmidt's Bakery, Sunshine Sisters Plant Shop and Twice Blessed Resale are also marked as Ladies Shopping Night participants. Other businesses on the list, including The Bookshelf, Hertel's Shoes and Daffodilly's Flowers & Gifts, have specials for the whole season. The Chamber also has a Shop 'Til You Drop raffle, but its page still says more information is coming soon.
Friday, Dec. 4: The Parade Starts on Pearl
The Chamber calls the evening the Batesville Community Tree Lighting and Batesville Area Chamber Holiday Parade, and the City of Batesville event listing runs it from 4 to 8 p.m. The vendor form puts the activity at Inspiration Park and on George and Main Streets. This year's theme is "Stars, Stripes & Holiday Lights," and the Chamber's parade registration form is direct about what it's looking for:
"Get creative with color, lights, and sound - Chamber Gift Certificates (Batesville Bucks) will be awarded for Most Illuminated, Best Themed, and Most Creative!"
All entries are free. The form invites floats, marching bands, decorated vehicles, dance teams and community groups, and registration closes Tuesday, Dec. 1. The parade steps off at 4:30 p.m. and follows this route:
- Start on West Pearl Street at Mulberry
- Left on George Street
- Left on Main Street
- Right on Boehringer Street
- Right on Park Avenue
- Right on Catherine Street, ending behind the Memorial Building
Santa is the last entry in the parade. The route goes down George and Main, the same blocks where many of the Nov. 13 stops are, so the parade crowd ends up right next to the storefronts from three weeks earlier. One caution if you're searching for the route: an older parade-route article still online describes the 2025 event, so go by the 2026 registration form.
Saturday, Dec. 5: The 24th Holidays Under the Spires
The next morning the season moves north to Oldenburg. The Holidays Under the Spires homepage announces the 24th annual event for Saturday, Dec. 5. The Franklin County Welcome Center notes that it is always held on the first Saturday in December. That's why it lands the day after Batesville's parade this year, since the parade is on the first Friday. The town's own events page describes it as a day to dine, shop and enjoy holiday activities throughout the whole village.
The 2026 schedule isn't out yet. The schedule link on the event site opens a file titled "2026 Schedule Coming Soon!" The site's "Enjoy" page lists an arts-and-craft show, choirs, and Santa visiting and handing out treats as the event's usual features. That page has no year on it, so check the posted schedule before you plan around any one of them. The Welcome Center lists a contact number for the event, 765-654-6522.
Stone Haus is a good example of how the weekend fits together. It's on the Batesville Chamber's list for Nov. 13 and on Oldenburg's shop list for Dec. 5. And it was designed around the Christmas season, with a German Christmas shop inside and decorations that stay up all year, according to The Batesville Leader's spring report.
Where the Calendar Ends
The last fixed date on the Chamber's list is a week after Under the Spires. Annabel's Sweet Treats, at 9966 N. Delaware Rd., holds its Christmas open house on Saturday, Dec. 12, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. In between, Oak & Vine on East Pearl Street will be having its first December since opening in September. More details for Shop 'Til You Drop, including the raffle, will be posted on the Chamber's page.
At Hillary Maple | The Nolting Team, we follow what opens, reopens and moves along both Pearl Streets. If the parade goes past your front porch this year and you've been wondering what your home is worth going into spring, ask us for a home value. We'll give you a number based on what's actually selling in Batesville and Oldenburg right now.
