Downtown Scottsbluff December remix: Christmas in July

I love walking in downtown Scottsbluff and looking in the business windows. Some of the business are very creative about their window displays, and it’s fun to see what’s new each time I walk by.

December is a favorite time for an evening stroll past all the plate glass, as the Christmas decorations the businesses put up give me a lot of cheer (sometimes because I’m laughing at the lackadaisical effort, but, hey – it’s cheer, right?).

This past December, I dragged Bugman around before and after a walking trip to Sam & Louie’s for dinner so I could take pictures of the window displays on Broadway. (Disclaimer: I did not photograph every single business in the downtown that had a window display – only the ones that were on my walking path that night.) I meant to do a Christmas post of appreciation for all the effort the business owners make to brighten up the downtown, but time got away from me, and I never got around to it.

Rather than give up the idea altogether, I decided to delay the post by six months and do a “Christmas in July” post. (Remember back when it was cold outside? Ah, those were the days!!)

Another layer was added to this post by the fact that I didn’t note the names of all the businesses I took photos of. I started to try to seek out every single business name, but it was taking way too much time, because there is still no downtown Scottsbluff business website (something I suggested was needed back in 2010, three months after I moved to Scottsbluff), and a lot of downtown businesses are apparently Google-impaired and have not performed digital grooming.

So, I’m adding an econopolitical Grinch angle to this post: downtown Scottbluff businesses need to get real and get online.

The Grinch lectures Max on how important it is these days to register one’s business with Google and to keep the information current. (Image from the super-fun Jingle Jog afterparty last year – I hope they do it again!)

How are visiting shoppers going to find out what there is to draw them to the downtown without a website or current, map-based information? Sure, they could wander around on foot, but that won’t draw them there in the first place, and they might miss something by not walking to that next block.

So, for lack of a downtown Scottsbluff business website, if I could not find a business name by virtually walking down the street in Google maps (with outdated Street View photos), I just sort of stabbed a guess at the business category from what I remember from my meanderings.

Enough of the grousing – enjoy the show! (And think fond thoughts of winter.)

A winter wonderland at The Zone / Scottsbluff Screenprinting?

Reichert’s Jewelry. I often enjoy the creative window displays at this business.

The ever-artful Tree House Interiors window.

I think this is an office supply store.

An art gallery whose name I should know but have forgotten.

A Bridal Affair – another business with oft-changing window displays that I appreciate very much. (I pass by here often on my way to the Midwest Theater and Cappucino and Company.)

The Sports Racquet – kind of sad but topped with a Huskers hat, so – bonus points!

The Midwest Theater’s lobby tree.

Tallmon’s – this was one of my favorite holiday window displays, even though it wasn’t yet finished when I took the picture. I appreciated the whimsy in miniature.

Teacher’s Corner gets two pictures. They always have nice-looking windows.

The “kid” side of Teacher’s Corner. Have to admit, this side appealed to me more. (A white tiger in a fedora!?!)

Salon West has it together, coordinating their Christmas tree with their hair product packaging.

Aw, huggable polar bear – and snowballs! Some kind of office here. Insurance, maybe?

Hairbender put their name in their window. Smart. They are also locatable on Google. Smarter.

This is some kind of pet-related business. I also took a photo of a realistic stuffed cat wearing a Santa hat, but the photo didn’t turn out.

At Bluff’s Bakery, the snowman kind of matches the vintage mixer!

Sam and Louie’s, going for a “Christmas in L.A.” look?

Second Time Around – points for good product placement. Toys, toys, toys!

Some kind of kitchen store.

The ever-classy window of Angela’s Bridal & Boutique.

Compliments gets extra points for including a bicycle in their Christmas display window! (They are also lucky they have not moved their business since the Google car last went down Broadway.)

The Christmas window at Marie’s Embroidery.

The guitars at Barbour Music all nestled in their faux-snow beds, visions of sugar plums dancing in their . . . frets?

Oh, Pella Window and Door, you make me laugh. Good holiday cheer!

Western Trail Sports Post gets THREE photos in the lineup. They have a lotta window real estate that wraps around a corner, and they always do something with it.

The Western Trail Sports Post Santa on one side of the door . . .

. . . and on the other, baby Jesus, the reason for the season.

Some pretty little ornaments (and a feather tree!) at Platte Valley Vac & Sew.

The Blossom Shop – another business with consistently aesthetically-pleasing windows.

A tall tree for Blue Stem’s tall window.

A perennial favorite: the warmly-lit mini town (flying reindeer included!) at Homestake Antique Mall (whose Google location puts it in the wrong place on the map.)

A closeup of the Homestake Antique Mall window: Look! a bicycle!

An unnamed lawyer’s office. Are those light beams coming down from the Christmas Star? Or is the window dirty? *blush* Maybe the lawyer is better off unnamed at this juncture.

And the final post in this series – the Connecting Point, which might have won the lackadaisical award on this day. (I don’t know if anything else was added to the tree later, but it was pretty funny as is.)

I hope you enjoyed this little tromp down six-months-ago memory lane. I’m looking forward to the next seasonal displays (and to the cooler weather!!!).

Copyright 2016 by Katie Bradshaw