Victorian Christmas at the Courthouse

Laurel Smith knows both sides of the Victorian Christmas at the Historic Courthouse in Stillwater, coming the weekend of Nov. 22-24.

Smith, a staff member at the Historic Courthouse and a Marine on St. Croix resident, is also a vendor at the annual event, a fundraiser for the restoration of the courthouse.

Smith has been an employee for more than eight years, and is planning her second year as a vendor at the event, offering natural soaps and lotions through her business, The Laurel Tree.

“I love the Historic Courthouse, and I’ve loved setting up the event and decorating the whole courthouse,” Smith said. Now, she can add her business offerings to the event.

Smith started The Laurel Tree in the 1990s. She uses all natural ingredients in olive oil soaps, laundry soap, lotions, body scrub, bath salts, and — one of her top sellers — yoga mat spray. She makes the products in her home, using natural ingredients, following her own recipes, without dyes, chemicals or perfumes.

Smith had worked at a natural food store, which spurred ideas for the products and a commitment to the natural ingredients. She does research to inspire new flavors and scents and design new products. The recent recession took a toll on the business, but recently Smith has had more requests for her products, and manufacturing is increasing in her home’s basement.

Smith finds it just as exciting to be a vendor at the Victorian Christmas event as it is to be working as a staff member during the busy weekend, although she doesn’t leave all responsibility behind. “I find myself wanting to go help someone find a bathroom,” she laughed. “It is doing double duty sometimes, but I really don’t mind it at all.”

The Preview Gala, 6:30 to 9 p.m. Friday, Nov. 22, features the decorated courthouse, champagne, coffee and sparkling cider in addition to donated appetizers and desserts, as well as beer-tasting of hand-crafted beers made in Stillwater.

Smith finds her most active buyers attend the event Friday evening and Saturday, and she chooses a wide variety of products to display. She is the only soap vendor, so she is preparing with big batches of soap, which she cuts into blocks and wraps to prepare for sale.

Guests to the gala may begin their holiday shopping while strolling through the vendor booths featuring arts and crafts for sale. A quilt made and donated by Courthouse Quilters will be raffled off over the weekend with the drawing Sunday afternoon. A new feature for this year’s event will be gift-wrapping by the Historic Courthouse staff and volunteers. 

The Preview Event is a restoration and operations fundraiser for the Washington County Historic Courthouse, and nearly $275,000 has been raised by the event over the years.

Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door. Tickets may be purchased at the Historic Courthouse, 101 W. Pine Street, Stillwater, MN 55082, by mail, or telephone. Additional information about ticket purchase and the event may be found at www.co.washington.mn.us/hc. Credit cards may be used for ticket purchase.

The Victorian Christmas event continues 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23, and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 24.