ASHLAND — Mitch Johnson loves Christmas so much, he could not contain his holiday festivity to just his home — so he spread it all across Ashland.
Every year Johnson adorns his house and yard, located at 1542 South Baney Road, with Christmas lights and blow-up figures.
When the neighbors’ granddaughters came to visit, they started asking when Mr. Christmas would put up his holiday extravaganza.
Johnson has lived up to the nickname: he is the man behind the wreaths and lights across Ashland’s Main Street, the Christmas tree at Corner Park and most of the structures at Ashland’s annual Christmas Village.
Why did Johnson bring his jolliness to downtown?
Johnson’s journey to becoming Ashland’s merriest man started more than eight years ago when he and his son, Danny Johnson, wanted to grow Ashland’s annual Christmas Parade to something bigger and better than in years prior.
“We tried to make it a competition between the different landscape companies and companies. And then from that, it just evolved,” he said.
Johnson is co-owner of J&H Lawn Care and Snow Plowing with Danny Johnson.
When Ashland Mayor Matt Miller was first elected eight years ago, he reached out to Johnson for his company’s Christmas-decorating services in downtown Ashland.
“One of the reasons we do all of these special events at Christmas time is because we know it will create beautiful memories for the young children in Ashland,” Miller said.
The city also purchased the giant Christmas tree that sits at Corner Park from Johnson. Now, the annual tree lighting after the parade is a staple event.
“My Christmas present is the smile on the kids’ faces: the memories they’re creating with their mom and dad and their grandmas and grandpas, and the smiles and the big faces. That’s Christmas to me,” Johnson said.
“My Christmas present is the smile on the kids’ faces: the memories they’re creating with their mom and dad and their grandmas and grandpas, and the smiles and the big faces. That’s Christmas to me.”
Mitch Johnson
How he brought Christmas Village to Ashland
But the tree and the lights did not make Ashland as Whovilley as Johnson wanted. So, he decided, with the help of some friends, to create another annual Christmas event: Ashland Christmas Village.
The idea came to him by chance, or maybe destiny, when he was mowing the grass at a foreclosure property and stumbled upon the old Santa House.
The Santa House was an Ashland tradition when Johnson was a kid, which he remembers sitting on the corner of Main Street when he was 5 or 6 years old.
The ghost of Christmas past took over Johnson, and he knew he had to recreate the building for another generation to enjoy. His friend, Jake Moody helped in the endeavor, and the new Santa House debuted in 2019.
They continued to build more structures for the event, including Mrs. Claus’s house, the hot chocolate stand, Santa’s red sleigh. The Coffy family has also helped grow the event, contributing the Santa’s mailbox, blow-up snow globe and helping organize rotating features each year.
“This town has really changed over the past five to eight years for the Christmas season. When I was driving through town on Saturday night — I can’t remember where I ever had to stop and wait for traffic downtown and people to cross the street.
“(Now) you couldn’t find a parking spot,” Johnson said.
“Everything is 100% free, and that is done by us raising money and through contributions from the local companies and people in town, and we can’t thank them enough,” he said.
Last year, Johnson introduced the Ashland Express train ride to the village after working with local welder Bud Arter to construct it. Arter converted an old airport tug, which hauls luggage, into the train it is today.
“He donated a lot of his hours and metal to that,” Johnson said, “We’re looking at now putting swinging doors on the cars.
“We keep updating every year; this year I put the horn on. We got sound all the way through the cars now so you can listen to music.”
Even though he continues to grow the village each year, with the help of the board, he was still not through with introducing new Christmas events to Ashland.
Christmas Lights and Delights drive-through
Johnson first suggested a Christmas lights drive-through four or five years ago when he was a member on the fair board. When he brought it up again earlier this year, the board and Ashland Area Chamber of Commerce were ready to make it happen.
He credits the chamber with organizing the event into the final product it is now. Johnson’s J&H crew helped install the electrical wiring to power the lights and, of course, a display of their own.
But the people who really make all of Ashland’s Christmas events come together are the volunteers, Johnson said.
“Out at the fairgrounds, we’re struggling for volunteers. We’re not for taking money and stuff like that, but the doing the building and keeping everything up, it takes a lot of hard work and a lot of hours,” he said.
Without volunteers to take payments at the fairgrounds, or elves to walk around the village or people behind the scenes setting up lights and moving the heavy structures into place, the events would cease to be.
Johnson said he hopes to slow down soon because he’s past retirement age, but he already has new ideas for expanding Christmas events again next year.
“Just to see the excitement down there Saturday night. You walk back through there and say, ‘hey, you ready for a train ride?’ The kids are screaming and jumping up and down: that’s why I do it,” Johnson said.
