Shillito's Elves Photo: Provided by 3CDC

One of Cincinnati’s most beloved holiday traditions returns next week, this time in a new location.

The famous Shillito’s Elves made their first appearance in the storefront window of Cincinnati department store Shillito’s in the ‘50s. The mechanized figures depict various Christmas scenes, like the elves building toys in Santa’s workshop and sorting Santa’s mail. This year, the Elves will be on display at 1312 and 1324 Main St. in Over-the-Rhine’s Main Street District from Friday, Nov. 22 to Sunday, Jan. 5.

The same six elves will return this year: The Mail Sorter; Little Woodshop; Pete the Painter; Lazzie Bear and Gift Wrap; and Elves at home, including Ralph the Piano Player, Ned the Newspaper Reader and the four-stack of Bunkbed Elves dreaming of their toy deadline.

Artist Mark Trierweiler is known as the “keeper of the elves,” storing and maintaining them during the off-season.

“I always enjoy bringing the Elves back during the holidays, but I’m especially excited to see them in their new home on Main Street,” Trierweiler said in a press release. “What a fun way to continue the tradition while bringing the magic to a new part of the urban core.”

3CDC and commercial real estate developer Al. Neyer teamed up to bring the 70-plus-year-old tradition to OTR. To supplement the Elves, 3CDC will also be introducing seasonal programming to make Main Street a one-stop shop for holiday merriment.   

Programming includes the Main Street Pop-Up Holiday Market, which will launch on Nov. 22 and run every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from noon to 8 p.m. for five weekends. The market, located between 1318-1320 Main St., will feature nine pop-up shops, with six already confirmed:

  • Awarewolf Apparel
  • Keke’s Publishing
  • Yummy Brother’s Cookies
  • Sugar Innovations
  • Delaney & Blu
  • All Cheri’s Intriguing Crystals

3CDC will also host “Merry Movies on Main,” a series of holiday movie classics, each Saturday at 5 p.m. in the newly expanded portion of Ziegler Park. Moviegoers can warm up with specialty drinks from Saturday Morning Vibes Cereal Bar, like handcrafted Hot Spiced Cider and Hot Chocolate with a variety of customizable toppings. Here’s the schedule:

  • Nov. 23: Elf
  • Nov. 30: Polar Express
  • Dec. 7: Home Alone
  • Dec. 14: The Grinch
  • Dec. 21: Candy Cane Lane

“The Main Street District is home to numerous restaurants and retailers, as well as Ziegler Park, making it a true downtown destination,” Emily Stowe, senior event marketing manager at 3CDC, said in the release. “Bringing new programming and the Shillito’s Elves display to this location will not only make it a holiday destination, but a great way to support small businesses in the area.”

The elves will be viewable 24/7, but they’ll only be animated Monday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and then from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., and from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

For more information on the elves and other holiday happenings, visit downtowncincinnati.com/elves.

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This article appears in Nov 15-28, 2023.

Katherine Barrier is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati’s journalism program and has nearly 10 years of experience reporting local and national news as a digital journalist. At CityBeat, she...