FAIR HAVEN, Vt. (WCAX) – A Vermont restaurant wants to brighten up its customers’ lives at Christmas. The Fair Haven Inn is known for its holiday displays.
What locals call a hidden gem is full of holiday spirit.
“I come here because of the atmosphere,” said Donna Reed of Fair Haven. “I love the food, it is fairly cheap.”
Reed is a regular at the Fair Haven Inn. She’s there most weekends and during the holidays she looks forward to seeing their extraordinary decor.
“All of these decorations, I came here last night and I thought, ‘Oh, my god, this is beautiful.’ All lit up, and it is just gorgeous. Absolutely gorgeous,” Reed said.
Mihaela Ieremias has run the restaurant with her family for the last 30 years. Christmas is her favorite time of year. Every holiday season she gussies the place up with hundreds of decorations.
“I love to create joy. Bring people’s hopes,” Ieremias said. “I feel like if I will decorate, then at least they can drive around. They can come and stop by and say hello.”
She says the setup takes about a month to put together. She strives for a unique display every year.
Employee Bruce Chase says it’s a workplace like no other.
“You’re really part of something,” he said. “You are part of everyone’s life. You get to share in that, and that’s unusual. You don’t find community like that any longer.”
You can expect the lights to come back again next Christmas.