By Margaret McCormick
It’s vacation time. Thoughts turn to swimming, boating, biking, hiking, gardening and grilling.
It’s shorts and sandals season and there’s no snow in the forecast.
Sunshine and beach days are great. But does anyone “need a little Christmas right this very minute’’ (as Johnny Mathis sings in the popular holiday tune)?
Then program your GPS for Evolve for the Home — The Christmas Store in Lyons, Wayne County.
It’s a one-of-a-kind “deck the halls” destination.
Owner Glenn Wasman believes it’s the only year-round store in the Finger Lakes region dedicated exclusively to holiday merchandise.
The Christmas Store is impressive.
Some might even call it tree-mendous.
It occupies not one but three storefronts in downtown Lyons, a couple doors from the historic Ohmann Theatre. Open the door and a long hallway trimmed with twinkling lights, snowflakes, drummer boys and myriad ornaments sets the stage and the mood.
Inside is a colorful holiday spectacular, offering everything from Snowbabies porcelain figures to bright green “Grinch” figures to rolls of red and green toilet paper (“tinkle all the way’’) to sugar cookie boxed mixes. One room holds dozens of holiday-themed nightlights.
Christmas music plays in the background.
Does Wasman get tired of it? “That’s the No. 1 question I’m asked,’’ he said. “I don’t even notice it.’’
Wasman, 58, grew up on a farm near Lyons and graduated from Lyons High School. After graduation, he moved to Florida and spent more than 20 years working in merchandising and retail operations for Walt Disney World.
“Florida was great when I was 18, not so much when I was 40,’’ he said. “In 2004, four hurricanes hit us in six-week period. It was time to leave.”
He returned to Wayne County and served as bookkeeper for local businesses and the family farm. “I still do that on the side,’’ he said.
In 2016, Wasman opened a retail shop in Lyons, Evolve for the Home. He did well with it, attracting a steady stream of customers drawn to the store’s mix of gifts, antiques, home decor, repurposed items and furniture. But the adventurer in him wanted to take the store to another level and make it a destination worthy of a billboard on the Thruway.
When COVID-19 hit in 2020, Wasman took it as an opportunity to reimagine the business. Evolve closed its doors for more than a year and reopened as an “all Christmas, all the time” store with 7,000 square feet of retail space.
“We made the right decision,’’ Wasman said. “And we don’t have a billboard.’’
Wasman is assisted at Evolve by partner Craig Fraser and store designer Donna Conlin. The store is a showcase for more than 40 trees, many decorated by theme. There’s a white tree, a blue tree, a Santa tree, a snowman tree, a bird tree, a mushroom tree — you get the idea.
Evolve doesn’t sell trees, inflatables and strings of lights. Those items are better left to “the big box stores,” he said.
The store does carry decorative branches with white lights and colored lights. And the store’s top-selling item, Wasman said while pointing to a display above the front counter, is a twinkling, multi-color ornament-shaped light on a string.
Other top sellers include Department 56 collectibles, festive Jim Shore figurines, whimsical “Grinch” characters and red and white peppermint-themed décor items. Peppermint has special significance in the Lyons area. In the 1800s, many farmers grew peppermint, which was used in quantity by the H.G. Hotchkiss Company to produce much of the peppermint oil used in the U.S. There’s even a Peppermint Museum in town.
Evolve offers some items for sale online, but not too many.
“People want to come for the experience and see it,’’ Wasman said of the store.
There’s plenty to see and Evolve sees plenty of visitors, especially as spring gives way to summer and during the busy fall season.
Lyons is close to Finger Lakes wine country and the Lake Ontario Wine Trail and attracts some of that trade.
Business tends to pick up in June, when the weather gets warmer and school’s out for summer. There’s an uptick in traffic on “Leon Day,” June 25, the mid-way point between summer and Christmas. (“Leon” is Noel spelled backwards.)
The store’s “Christmas in July” weekend, scheduled for July 25-27, also gets people thinking about the holiday season in advance. Former Rochester TV sports anchor turned digital media creator John Kucko has visited the store several times for this event.
“Trust me when I say they have everything here, thousands and thousands of ornaments to get folks into the holiday spirit during these dog days of summer,’’ Kucko posted on Facebook (John Kucko Digital).
How do people discover the Christmas store?
Largely through word-of-mouth recommendations and social media, according to Wasman.
Visits from Kucko and “Day Trips Around Rochester New York’’ author Debi Bower have helped to get the word out.
The store’s customers are primarily women and largely from within a couple hours of Lyons, as well as the local community: Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Utica, Rome, etc.
Wasman named his store Evolve “because your home is always evolving.’’
His properties and business portfolio are evolving, too. He has purchased an adjacent storefront, which will make room for even more Christmas merchandise and a seating area for shoppers (and their companions).
In late April, Wasman opened The Mercantile @ Newberry, a home décor store across the street from The Christmas Store. It offers all manner of home goods, including some vintage items, as well as women’s clothing and jewelry. The store also has a coffee and lunch counter.
Evolve for the Home the Christmas Store is at 57 William St., Lyons. The store is open daily (closed Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day). For information, call 315-937-8409 or visit https://evolveforthehome.com/. Groups of 10 or more and motorcoach tours are welcome but should call the store and arrange to visit in advance.
For information on The Mercantile @ Newberry, visit https://evolvemercantile.com/.
For more information on things to do in Lyons and Wayne County, including an events calendar, visit www.waynecountytourism.com