At 7 p.m. on Friday, December 4, the countdown starts at the corner of William and Sandusky Streets, and Main Street Delaware lights the downtown Christmas tree. The skating rink opens behind the Delaware Welcome Center at 20 E. William St., a few doors east. Two nights later, the Light the Night Christmas Parade steps off from Mingo Park and runs down Sandusky Street to Wilmer Street.
The streets and the schedule look much like other years. The businesses along them don't. Since last December, a pub that sat on North Sandusky for 22 years has closed. A new Irish pub opened just off the tree corner, and a second Espresso Air opened on South Sandusky. If you plan to spend part of the weekend downtown, you'll be warming up and eating in different places than last year.
The parade route lost a 22-year fixture
Old Bag of Nails Pub opened at 66 N. Sandusky St. in 2004. According to 1808Delaware, the company announced its final day there would be Sunday, October 11, after it couldn't reach a long-term agreement with the building's landlord. WhatNow reported on October 13 that it had closed permanently after serving its last customers that Sunday.
The closing had been coming for a while. 1808Delaware, citing Columbus Business First, reported that the original 20-year lease expired in 2024. The restaurant had stayed on month to month since then. The building was first offered for sale in early 2024, and the pub kept serving for more than two years after that.
The building is a 6,651-square-foot property from 1920, within walking distance of Ohio Wesleyan University. 1808Delaware reported that it's listed for sale at $1.7 million or for lease at $18 per square foot a year. The listing describes a fully built-out restaurant and bar with a large central bar, a commercial kitchen, a patio and dedicated parking. For now, the parade will pass a dark storefront on North Sandusky.
A new pub just off the tree corner
The new arrival on the other side of the tree has a much shorter history. Hallihan's Irish Pub opened at 12 W. William St. in September, in the first block west of the corner where the tree goes up. The Delaware Gazette reported that it began full service after a series of soft openings to test the menu.
Owner John Cordas told the Gazette that the idea came from business partner Mike Barker of CBUS Title Agency. The pub is named for Barker's family, and photos of his relatives hang inside. "We don't have any traditional Irish pubs," Cordas told the Delaware Gazette. He said the food is the focus: hand-battered fish and chips, a house tartar sauce with a Cajun kick, and a Reuben made with corned beef cooked for six hours.
Hallihan's is one of several downtown spots Cordas owns. The Gazette lists Open Btl, which opened in March, plus Shorty's Pizza and Sandbar Station. Open Btl is a wine bar at 39 E. Williams St., in the building that used to hold J. Gumbos. In August, Cordas told Delaware Source that the bar was adding Delaware's first rooftop patio. He said it was planned to run year-round, weather permitting, with fire pits for winter and events like happy hours and candlelight orchestra performances.
Put the addresses together and the tree corner has a new layout. Hallihan's sits just west of the tree on William Street. COhatch at 18 E. William St. and the Welcome Center rink at 20 E. William St. are just east of it. On the busiest night of the season, all of these are within a short walk of each other.
Coffee on South Sandusky
The third change is easy to miss because it opened quietly. Espresso Air opened its second cafe at 34 S. Sandusky St. on August 12, Delaware Source reported. The first one is in Uptown Westerville, opened by Talip Kucuker. His sister, Eslem Kucuker, brought the brand to Delaware after years of working at the Westerville cafe.
Its timing works for the Saturday morning events. Dash for Dasher runs from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on December 5. Kids follow Santa's clues around downtown to find his missing reindeer, starting at COhatch. Hot drinks on South Sandusky are now a short walk from that starting point.
December 4 to 6, by address
Here is Main Street Delaware's Home for the Holidays schedule, organized by where each event happens.
| Location | Friday, Dec. 4 | Saturday, Dec. 5 | Sunday, Dec. 6 |
|---|---|---|---|
| William & Sandusky tree corner | First Friday, 6–9 p.m.; tree lighting at 7 p.m. | ||
| Rink behind the Welcome Center, 20 E. William St. | Free skate, 5–9 p.m. | Learn to skate with the WarCats for ages 10 and under, 1–3 p.m.; free skate, 3–5 p.m. | Free skate, 1–5 p.m. |
| Santa at the Welcome Center | Appointments 5–6:30 p.m.; walk-ins 8–9 p.m. | Walk-ins 11 a.m.–noon; appointments noon–3 p.m. | |
| COhatch, 18 E. William St. | Dash for Dasher, 11 a.m.–1 p.m.; Great Gingerbread Build-Off at 3:30 p.m. | ||
| Strand Theatre, 28 E. Winter St. | Free carriage rides, 6–9 p.m. | ||
| Mingo Park to Wilmer Street via Sandusky | Light the Night Christmas Parade, 6 p.m. |
A few details are new or easy to miss. The carriage rides are free this year. Santa photos are free too, taken by For His Glory Photography, and each visit includes one print and one digital copy.
The Gingerbread Build-Off is in its third year, and registration is now free. It includes a basic house kit, though you'll need to bring your own base, no larger than 20 by 20 inches. Teams get three hours to build, and judging starts at 7:15 p.m. The People's Choice Award goes to the house that collects the most donations for Main Street Delaware.
Ohio Wesleyan has an event the same Friday. The university's arts calendar lists a One-Act Play Festival at Chappelear Drama Center on December 4.
The weekends after the parade
The holiday events don't end Sunday night. Main Street spreads the rest of December across the next two weekends:
- Friday, Dec. 11: Free carriage rides from the Strand Theatre, 6–8 p.m. Santa walk-ins 5–6 p.m., then appointments 6–8 p.m.
- Saturday, Dec. 12: Santa walk-ins 11 a.m.–noon, appointments noon–3 p.m. This year the Delaware County Historical Society hosts the Holiday "Trolley" Tours, departing at 1, 2:30 and 4 p.m. Tickets are $25 per person. Guides in vintage clothing share stories about St. Mary Catholic Church, the Byxbe House, Old City Hall/William's Opera House and St. Peter's Episcopal Church.
- Friday, Dec. 18: Santa walk-ins 5–6 p.m., appointments 6–8 p.m. This is also the last day for Ardine Nelson's "City Center" and the Fine Arts Faculty Exhibition at OWU's Ross Art Museum.
- Saturday, Dec. 19: The last Santa visits of the season, with walk-ins 11 a.m.–noon and appointments noon–3 p.m.
The Season of Shopping card connects all of this to the downtown businesses. It starts November 21, and you can pick up a card at Main Street events throughout December. Mark off each downtown purchase, then turn the card in at The Greater Gouda by December 23 for a chance to win the grand prize, a bundle of gift certificates and items from downtown businesses. This year, a Saturday coffee on South Sandusky or a Friday Reuben on West William counts toward that card.
Between one December and the next, a 22-year pub on Sandusky closed and its building went up for sale or lease. If you own a home near Sandusky Street and are curious what the latest changes downtown mean for your property's value, the team at The Oracle Group can talk it through with you. We'll probably see you at the tree lighting. Start Your Home Journey whenever you're ready.
