Eat. Shop. Play

A Season-Long Opportunity to

and Win! The History of

Black Friday

The various advantages to

Shopping Locally

A Taste of the Holidays EXCLUSIVE COUPONS INSIDE!

Welcome to Fayette County’s

Eat. Shop. Play.

There are many places to eat, many places to shop will be drawn on Friday, December 18, 2020 for a and many places to create lasting memories with $300, $200, and $100 gift certificate to any of the your family and friends in Fayette and surrounding participating merchants. counties. The Fayette County Record has teamed up with our advertisers to offer you a way to increase Lost or stolen cards will not be replaced. Qualifying your spending power all while purchases totaling $20 per punch shopping at these local advertisers. can only be verified and validated As an added bonus, there is at The Fayette County Record, a Christmas Shopping Bingo located at 127 S. Washington St., included in this magazine on La Grange, open Monday-Friday pages 28 and 29. On those pages 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Receipts must be You always WIN when you shop with you will find 4 bingo cards with a original and must be punched the Fayette County Record Advertisers, space for a business name and a along with the punchcard. The but now you can win even more!

Win up to a $300 Gift CertiďŹ cate to secret word. (Details for the game receipt must show the business any advertiser in the Fayette County Eat. Shop. Play. Holiday Shopping Guide. can be found on page 29 of this name and must be dated from publication.)

November 20 - December 17, 2020. Limit 25 completed punch Participation is easy. Whenever cards ($2,500) per receipt may you make a purchase at any of the be received during the contest advertisers in this publication, period. keep the receipts and bring them into The Fayette County Record To enter, each card must include for verification. For every $20 five punches and should then be spent, you receive a punch in the dropped off at The Fayette County card. (See sample on this page.)

Record office or the La Grange For every $100 spent, you will receive an entry in the Main Street & Visitors Bureau office as an entry to Eat. Shop. Play. and Win! contest. win one of three gift certificates for $300, $200, and $100 that can then be spent at any of the advertising The more you spend, the more chances you have to businesses in the Eat. Shop. Play. and Win! magazine. win.

Advertisers receiving these gift certificates may then Three lucky shoppers will have extra dollars to spend redeem these certificates toward advertising dollars at on gifts (or themselves) this Christmas season as The The Fayette County Record.

Fayette County Record presents Eat. Shop. Play. and Win! Eat. Shop. Play. and Win! is a contest to promote local businesses and encourage shopping with advertisers This promotion is a Christmas shopping contest. in The Fayette County Record.

The contest will run during the Christmas shopping season beginning Friday, November 20, 2020 and Employees of The Fayette County Record are not ending Thursday, December 17, 2020. Three names eligible to win.

The Fayette County Record contest rules apply.

Visit or call the Record office for details.

Your Local Holiday Shopping Guide | 3

ADVERTISERS’ TABLE OF CONTENTS The following advertisers are participating in this year’s EAT. SHOP. PLAY. and your dollars can make you eligible for gift cards that can be redeemed at these businesses at a later date.

PARTICIPANT support local businesses

Check out our Exclusive Coupons Pages 24 & 25

2 Kleiber Tractor 5 La Grange Eye Care 5 La Grange Ford 5 We Stitch 9 Lukas Bakery 15 D&D Ace Hardware 17 Weikel’s 17 Brawley Dental 21 Fayette County Record

27 Gardenia Animal Shelter 27 Latte Café 27 Murphy’s Steakhouse 30 Orsak’s Cafe 30 Le Petite 30 Weise Farms 30 Fayette County Record 32 Columbus Chamber of Commerce

Staff and Contributors ortunity to A Season-Long Opp

PUBLISHER

Regina B. Keilers

and Win!

EDITOR

The History of

Black Friday

Jeff Wick

DIGITAL EDITOR Andy Behlen The various advantages

to

Shopping Locally

R

ys A Taste of the Holida EXCLUSIVE COUPONS

INSIDE!

STAFF WRITER/OFFICE H.H. Howze LouAnn Adcox Kara Koether

ADVERTISING

ACCOUNTING

Theresia Karstedt Nonnie Barton

PRODUCTION

John Castaneda - Newspaper Lindsey Fojtik - Special Sections

CIRCULATION JoAnn Mueller George Kana Jesse Montez Lisa Karstedt Nicol Krenek

Becky Weise Lukas Bakery is featured on the cover Jackie Daniels Jessica Montez of this year’s Eat. Shop. Play.

127 S. Washington St. | P.O. Box 400 | La Grange, Texas 78945 Ph: 979.969.3155 | Fx: 979.968.6767 Email: editor@fayettecountyrecord.com www.FayetteCountyRecord.com The Fayette County Record is published every Tuesday and Friday, except the publication immediately following Christmas by Fayette County Record, Inc. serving Fayette County since 1922. The Fayette County Record is locally owned and operated by the Barton family since 1976. (USPS 188-440)

4 | Eat. Shop. Play. 2020

©2019 The Fayette County Record

CLEAR VISION is our gift to you

We specialize in Custom Lens Design

We accept most vision and medical insurances

Customized Holiday Gifts for Everyone!

©2020 The Fayette County Record

©2020 The Fayette County Record

lagrangeford.com

2020 YEAR END SALES EVENT

Best Time to Shop America’s Best-Selling Brand.

Your Hometown Dealer!

1605 W. Travis St. La Grange, TX

420 W. Travis St., #103 • La Grange

979.968.6461 Your Local Holiday Shopping Guide | 5

Th t S S t H R A b C o A d f w “ o G R m Baker Larry Faldyn with his daughter, Jaime Smith, her husband, Steven, and their two daughters, Ella and Tabitha.

Lukas Bakery - A Local Treasure

Rise and Shine For 73 years Lukas Bakery has been helping folks rise and shine in the morning.

get their day started in the tastiest way possible.

Since November 1947, the little bakery on the courthouse square in La Grange has been churning out kolaches, pig-in-the-blankets and other baked goodies to help customers

Today, baker Larry Faldyn keeps the tradition alive, arriving at the bakery every morning by 1 a.m. (though if there are lots of advance orders he will sometimes get there as early as 11 p.m.)

6 | Eat. Shop. Play. 2020

R o N l L R w h k S F R p f F I m R a t C i

The doors open to customers Monday through Friday from 5 a.m. until 1 p.m. and Saturday 5 a.m. until noon and closed on Sunday, though if you wait that long, most of their treats will be sold out daily.

Here’s how it all began:

Carol Faldyn alw ays decorated the bakery ’s window for Ch ristmas

Raymond Lukas came to Texas from Arkansas during the latter part of WWII to bake bread for German prisoners of war at Camp Swift in Bastrop. He also baked the occasional wedding cake for a friend.

At one wedding for which he had made and decorated the cake, he heard a woman in front of him say, “I’d like to marry the man who made that cake.” A fellow guest said, “Well, turn around, he’s standing in back of you.” Her name was Lucille Kurio from Giddings and it wasn’t long before she and Raymond Lukas were engaged and then married.

Raymond Lukas began working at a bakery on the square owned by Stanley Davis. On November 10, 1947, he and Lucille took out a loan and bought the business from Davis.

Lukas came from a family of bakers in Little Rock famous for their fruitcakes, which were distributed nationwide. It didn’t take him long to learn to bake local treats called kolache and klobasniky (pigs in a blanket).

Soon Lukas baked goods were common in Fayette, Lee and Milam counties.

n

lding a Larry Faldyn ho laches ko sh fre of tray

Raymond baked from scratch and used no preservatives. He baked bread and kolaches for the Bon Ton Restaurant in La Grange and Frank’s Restaurant in Schulenburg.

In 1973, apprentice baker Larry Faldyn married the Lukas’ daughter Carol. When Raymond Lukas passed away in 1978, Larry and Carol took over the business and ran it together for 48 years.

Carol passed away on March 14, 2020, but in an interview about the bakery two years

Your Local Holiday Shopping Guide | 7

ago, she said, “He has kept my parents’ dream going.”

Running the bakery is a true family affair, spanning three generations.

Larry and Carol’s three children, Jennifer Woodford, Jason Faldyn and Jaime Smith all worked at the bakery when they were in school. Jaime still handles the bakery’s facebook page. Son-in-law Steven Smith also worked at the bakery when he was younger and since Carol’s passing has stepped up to help out even more.

Carol Faldyn, da ughter of Lukas Bakery fo unders, Raymond and Lucille Lukas.

Larry makes everything from scratch, with many of the recipes a combination of Carol’s dad’s recipes and Larry’s Czech grandmother’s recipes.

Every day they have a wide variety of kolaches.

“The Czech people really like prune, apricot and poppy seed,” Carol said years ago. “The German people seem to go more to the cottage cheese.”

All the fruit, apples, apricots, peaches, pitted prunes are cooked in a big copper bowl.

Nothing is bought in a bucket.

The pig-in-the-blankets are from Larry’s own recipe, using from Eckermann’s meat from nearby Shelby, wrapped in fresh made bread baked that morning.

They always have a large selection of cookies as well, colorful sugar cookies decorated to match whatever holiday is closest, and chewy coconut macaroons and unique cherry nut cookies that people have come from out of state just to re-order.

Another unique item of the bakery is their fruit cakes, made only during the holiday season.

8 | Eat. Shop. Play. 2020

r gift giving. akes ready fo Holiday fruitc

Tasty pig-in-theblankets made fresh ever y morning.

Lukas Bakery

Since 1947

Pigs-in-the-Blanket Danishs Kolaches Honey Buns Cream Puffs Cinnamon Rolls

Baked with LOVE

Apple Strudels Brownies Cookies

Made fresh daily from scratch For 73 years, Lukas Bakery has been helping people rise and shine.

Family owned and operated and the perfect little sweet spot located on the courthouse square in La Grange, Texas. Come in and grab a taste of the good life.

135 N. Main in La Grange Monday-Friday 5 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Saturday 5:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Closed on Sunday ORDERS BY PHONE ONLY: (979) 968-3052

Š2020 The Fayette County Record

Lukas Bakery

Holiday cookie s ready for Sant a.

Their fruitcake recipe got its start at Carol’s great grandparent’s bakery, and was their specialty.

The cakes have large amounts of cherry/ pineapple fruit mix, pecans, golden raisins, dates and almond and rum flavor, and real vanilla and butter. They are given an apricot glaze.

Carol always gave them beautiful cellophane wrappings.

One thing their fruitcakes don’t have in them is the tropical fruit called citron, common in many recipes.

A flyer posted every year by Carol on the glass counter by the fruitcakes says:

Lukas Bakery ond de foun rs, Raym s. ka Lu lle and Luci

Traditional kolac hes

Our fruitcakes are wonderfully made from the finest ingredients and can turn the fruitcake “hater” into the most ardent fruitcake “lover”! There are no preservatives or citron in our cakes. A great tradition, having a slice with a cup of coffee or cocoa while listening to Christmas music will get you “in the mood” for the season! They make fabulous gifts for the difficult-to-buyfor person.”

Larry hasn’t gotten tired of getting to the bakery at 1 a.m. He’s 68 now and plans to keep running it until he’s at least 70, at which point he would love to sell it to someone who would like to keep it going as a bakery –and he’d even be willing to train them.

Lukas Bakery is located at 135 N. Main Street in La Grange. They are open 5 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Monday through Friday and Saturday 5 a.m. to Noon and closed on Sunday. Their phone number is 979-968-3052.

10 | Eat. Shop. Play. 2020

A historic shot of the bakery.

A variety of pastries are also available daily.

Carol Faldyn at work.

Carol and Larry Faldyn.

Some of the cookies that are always available at the bakery.

Texas Treasure business award Lukas Bakery received from the Texas Legislature.

The various advantages to

Shopping Locally Residents of a given town or city are often encouraged to support local businesses by looking to these firms to fill their needs.

Small businesses are not just integral parts of communities, employing millions across the country, they also are operations that fund the very communities they service.

Efforts to promote shopping local appear to be working. According to the Commonwealth Financial Group, over the

12 | Eat. Shop. Play. 2020

last several years there has been a shift in consumer purchasing behavior marked by a preference among consumers to support locally owned shops and stores over big-box retailers and even online shopping.

The following are some key reasons why shopping locally not only benefits small business owners, but also the communities they call home and the customers they serve.

More money stays in the community: According to the American Independent Business Alliance, for every $100 spent at a local business, $68 remains in the community. Conversely, only 43 percent of every $100 spent at a chain retailer stays in the community.

Job creation: The Business Alliance for Local Living Economies says local businesses create the majority of economic growth. They employ millions of Americans by creating roughly two-thirds of private sector jobs.

Local business owners also tend to hire people who represent the demographics of the communities where the business is located, which may include historically underserved populations.

Diversity of products: Local stores tend to diversify their products and services to meet the needs of the local communities, whereas chain stores often stock their shelves based on national demands.

Personalized service: A small business owner may be more inclined to go to great lengths to make customers happy because the longterm success of the business depends on customers becoming repeat customers.

Personal connection: Knowing the people behind a business facilitates a connection not easily achieved with other companies.

Customers may celebrate when a favorite business succeeds and look to spread the word about that business because they feel like they played a positive role in its success.

Shopping locally has gained momentum and is fueled by the many advantages to supporting local businesses.

Your Local Holiday Shopping Guide | 13

Must-haves to achieve a

Holiday Wonderland The end of the year marks a period of heightened festivity. Come the holiday season, homes and businesses are decorated and everyone seems to have an extra spring in their step.

The sight of snowflakes, candy canes, evergreen wreaths, and Christmas trees can elicit nostalgia for happy holidays of the past, as well as excitement for what is yet to come.

When it comes to decorating for the holidays, there are certain items that set the scene.

Christmas trees Germany is credited with starting the modern Christmas tree tradition. It dates back to the 16th century when devout Christians brought trees into their homes and decorated them.

German settlers brought Christmas tree traditions to America upon their arrival in Pennsylvania in the 19th century.

Mistletoe Mistletoe is known as the “kissing plant� and it is customary for couples to kiss while standing beneath the plant, typically hung in doorways and arches. Mistletoe was once hung to drive off evil spirts and ensure fertility. Kissing under the mistletoe was first found associated with the Greek festival of Saturnalia and later with primitive marriage rites.

Lights Lights are commonly seen during the holiday season. The custom of having holiday lights dates back to when Christmas trees were decorated with candles, which symbolized Christ being the light of the world. These traditions evolved from pagan rituals that would celebrate the return of light of the sun as the days grow longer after the winter solstice.

14 | Eat. Shop. Play. 2020

Yule log

y

Poinsettias Poinsettias are a tropical plant that originated in Mexico. Joel Roberts Poinsett was the first Ambassador from the United States to Mexico. He became enamored with the plants, and brought them back to his native South Carolina. An old Mexican legend suggests a poor girl had nothing to offer baby Jesus at Christmas Eve services, so she picked a handful of weeds and put them at the bottom of the nativity scene.

These weeds burst into bright red flowers and became known as “Flores de Noche Buena,” or “Flowers of the Holy Night.”

Holiday decorations borrow traditions from all over the world to help establish a festive wonderland.

D&D

Appliance & Service Center

©2020 The Fayette County Record

n

Many families burn a yule log in the fireplace and watch it burn while listening to Christmas carols. The familiar custom of burning the log dates back to solstice celebrations and the tradition of bonfires.

The Christmas tradition called for burning a portion of the log each evening until Twelfth Night, also known as the Epiphany, which takes place on January 6.

LIGHTS, TREES, DECOr

&

More

T he Gift Place 3611 W. ST. HWY 71 . La Grange 979.242.5146 or 1.800.688.0272 M-F 7:30am-5:30pm & Sat. 7:30-5:00pm Also Shop at www.acehardware.com

We Service What We Sell Your Local Holiday Shopping Guide | 15

Decorate with a no Inviting Holiday A Holiday decor is as much about the sights and sounds as it is about the scents of the season. Few things evoke the holiday spirit as much as the aroma of fresh evergreen or spicy cinnamon and cloves. Incorporating inviting aromas into holiday decor can make homes feel even more special.

Filling a home with fragrant decor takes a little ingenuity and planning. Here are some ideas to incorporate the scents of the holiday season into your decor.

Use a real Christmas tree. An easy way to

create a pine-like scent indoors is to select a real Christmas tree. Ask the tree farm which varieties are the most fragrant. If a fresh tree is not possible, fill a decorative basket with pine cones and evergreen boughs for that woodsy appeal.

Create a seasonal scented simmer. Take to

the stove to make a homemade air infusion from ingredients in and around the house.

Simmer pine branches, citrus peels, vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon, and whatever else can be placed in a pot or slow cooker with water.

The scents will permeate the house for hours if enough water is added to the mixture.

Make holiday sachets. Some of the same ingredients for the holiday simmer can be dried and sewn into sachets. Add ribbon and hang on real or artificial trees. Or tuck the pouches into various areas around the house.

18 | Eat. Shop. Play. 2020

Experiment with scented candles. Scented candles can be found at various stores during the holiday season. Select among popular holiday aromas like pine, cinnamon, apples, and Christmas cookie varieties.

Utilize essential oils. Natural food stores and other retailers may sell essential oils, which can be diluted and sprayed on surfaces or into the air. Exercise caution around upholstery, or test for staining before use.

Spend more time in the kitchen. Add delicious scents to the home by way of freshly baked goods or holiday meals. Nothing beats the smell of cookies right out of the oven, and the scents can linger for hours.

Make beeswax ornaments. Add scented oils to melted beeswax and pour into molds.

Hang these creations as ornaments on trees or in other areas of the home.

Craft some “gingerbread� ornaments. A mixture of cinnamon, applesauce and glue can be used to make ornaments or gift tags that resemble gingerbread cookies, and these ornaments have more staying power than actual cookies.

Design a pretty pomander. Stud an orange

with cloves. Cut off the top of the orange and hollow out a place for a small tea light. The warmth of the flame will produce more scent.

Rich and inviting aromas can fill a home with the holiday spirit.

a nose toward y Aromas

Your Local Holiday Shopping Guide | 19

20 | Eat. Shop. Play. 2020

The environmental impact of

Shopping Local

Shopping at locally owned businesses benefits everyone from local business owners to the people they employ to the communities where they operate. As beneficial as shopping local can be for small business owners and the communities where they operate, the planet is perhaps the biggest beneficiary of consumers supporting locally owned small businesses.

The environmental impact of purchasing locally manufactured and sold products is significant. Consumers who choose to use their purchasing power to support local businesses may not realize just how much they’re helping the planet in so doing.

22 | Eat. Shop. Play. 2020

Shopping local reduces your “food miles.”

Large grocery stores get much of their inventory from producers in other countries.

Even stores that rely heavily on domestic producers may not limit their domestic partners to local farms. That means products may be traveling thousands of miles before they end up on the shelves in local grocery stores. This is often referred to as “food miles,” and the more consumers can reduce their food miles, the more they help the planet. The Center for Climate and Energy Solutions notes that transportation is the largest source of carbon emissions in the United States, so anything consumers can do to reduce the amount of fuel needed

to get food from farm to table can greatly benefit the planet. Shopping local grocers who source their foods from local farms is a simple and effective way to help the planet.

fuel consumption, including shopping locally, can greatly benefit the planet.

Shopping local conserves fuel.

Another way shopping local benefits the planet is its link to preserving local farms.

When local grocers get their foods from local farms, that increases the long-term sustainability of those farms. If farms are sustainable, they’re more likely to remain in operation. Farms don’t just grow foods, they also provide habitats for local wildlife that helps maintain local ecosystems. That domino effect begins with consumers who support local businesses by shopping local.

Much like shopping local reduces reliance on producers who must travel thousands of miles to get their products on shelves in your community, it also reduces the time consumers spend in their vehicles.

That conserves fuel and helps to reduce air pollution. That’s an easily overlooked benefit of shopping local, but one that should not be taken for granted.

According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, an estimated 150 million Americans are living in areas that do not meet federal air quality standards. Emissions from automobiles are a major source of the pollution that’s behind poor air quality, so anything consumers can do to reduce their

Shopping local protects land from developers.

Shopping local pays numerous dividends, not the least of which are the many ways supporting local businesses benefits the environment.

Your Local Holiday Shopping Guide | 23

D&D 50% OFF

Second Pair of Glasses*

*restrictions apply: must buy new frame for both pairs, some frame lines are excluded. Valid until Dec. 31, 2020

15% OFF your purchase

One per customer. Valid until Dec. 20, 2020

10% OFF New Holland Toys Valid until Dec. 31, 2020

24 | Eat. Shop. Play. 2020

25% off

one home decor item Valid until Dec. 31, 2020

15% off Valid until Dec. 31, 2020

FREE Appetizer with purchase Valid until Dec. 31, 2020

Present these coupons for awesome savings this holiday season!

BOGO

Any small drink of equal or lesser value Valid until Dec. 31, 2020

$10 OFF

Animal Adoptions Valid until Dec. 31, 2020

FREE Admission.

FREE Souvenir Gift.

(While supplies last) First three Fridays & Saturdays in December Santa Claus Museum 602 Washington Street | Columbus, TX www.santamuseum.org | 979-732-8385

15% OFF

KitchenAid Stand & Hand Mixers Valid until Dec. 31, 2020

10% off

any dining purchase Excludes alcohol. Valid until Dec. 31, 2020

Redeem this coupon at the Deli Counter. Expires 12/31/2020. La Grange location only.

Restrictions may apply. 2247 W. State Highway 71, La Grange, TX 78945 (979) 968-9413

Your Local Holiday Shopping Guide | 25

Your Local Holiday Shopping Guide | 27

Business Name

Business Name

Business Name

________________________

________________________

________________________

Secret Word

Secret Word

Secret Word

________________________

________________________

________________________

Business Name ________________________ Secret Word

E E R F

________________________

Business Name ________________________ Secret Word ________________________

Business Name

Business Name

Business Name

________________________

________________________

________________________

Secret Word

Secret Word

Secret Word

________________________

________________________

________________________

Business Name

Business Name

Business Name

________________________

________________________

________________________

Secret Word

Secret Word

Secret Word

________________________

________________________

________________________

Business Name ________________________ Secret Word

E E R F

________________________

Business Name ________________________ Secret Word ________________________

Business Name

Business Name

Business Name

________________________

________________________

________________________

Secret Word

Secret Word

Secret Word

________________________

________________________

________________________

28 | Eat. Shop. Play. 2020

#1

#2

How to play: Visit any of the “Eat, Shop, Play” participating merchants (any business advertising in this magazine), and look for the special Christmas Word that will be displayed at each business. Fill out the name of the business along with the special Christmas Word available only at that business, in one of the squares on a bingo card.

There are 4 cards with 8 spots to fill out on each card. Once you have a card filled with 8 different businesses and their secret words, you can come into The Fayette County Record office at 127 S. Washington St. in La Grange and receive an entry into the Christmas Bingo drawing for a special Christmas basket.

Entries must be received by December 20, 2020.

#3

Business Name

Business Name

Business Name

________________________

________________________

________________________

Secret Word

Secret Word

Secret Word

________________________

________________________

________________________

Business Name ________________________ Secret Word

REE

F

________________________

Business Name ________________________ Secret Word ________________________

Business Name

Business Name

Business Name

________________________

________________________

________________________

Secret Word

Secret Word

Secret Word

________________________

________________________

________________________

Business Name

Business Name

Business Name

________________________

________________________

________________________

Secret Word

Secret Word

Secret Word

________________________

________________________

________________________

Business Name ________________________ Secret Word

E E R F

________________________

#4

Business Name ________________________ Secret Word ________________________

Business Name

Business Name

Business Name

________________________

________________________

________________________

Secret Word

Secret Word

Secret Word

________________________

________________________

________________________

Your Local Holiday Shopping Guide | 29

Your Favorite NEWSpaper The Fayette County Record delivered to your home Tuesday and Friday.

Just

*Expires 12/30/)'.

Enjoy a good read?

Subscribe today and save.

Your Local NEWSpaper, Twice Every Week

979.968.3155 127 S. Washington St. | La Grange, Texas www.FayetteCountyRecord.com

30 | Eat. Shop. Play. 2020