Trax Creative District and area orgs and businesses partner for holiday crafting tour

By JARED BARTON – Columbus Telegram, Neb. (TNS)

Aromatherapy, snowmen, grinch juice and bowling might seem unrelated, but for the group of youngsters making their way downtown on Monday, it was all part of their Christmas plans.

The Trax Creative District partnered with several area organizations and businesses for its first Holiday Crafting Tour. Community Coordinator Sarah Bettenhausen said the activities were meant to be a sensory activity.

“We’ll try to hit all the senses,” Bettenhausen said. “We have aromatherapy, the smell. We’ll have touch with the snowmen we’re making with the aromatherapy, we have some textured buttons, we’ll be hearing music.”

The group started at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln extension office for some holiday letters and drawing activities. Next they headed to Mother Nature’s emporium for the aromatherapy snowmen. From there, they went to the Oak Room at the Friedhof Building for a Christmas story reading by Columbus Public Library Director Jeri Hopkins, grinch juice and bowling, then finished their journey at the Picket Fence Cafe with some watercolor art.

Bettenhausen said she hopes to keep the “traveling” aspect of the tour for kids.

“Every single crafting tour we have, which we’re going to do throughout the year a bunch of times, will probably be in the local businesses around downtown so they get familiar with what’s down here,” Bettenhausen said.

Sarah Janssen, a parent of one of the children participating, said this event was exciting to her and her children for a couple reasons.

“It gives them the opportunity to be creative,” Janssen said. “It’s kind of an exciting time now that school is out. It’s an opportunity to be creative and experience different kinds of art.”

This was one of several kid-themed art activities Bettenhausen has planned for the creative district. Another which kicked off last weekend is Artful Afternoons, a Saturday art class for kids ages six to nine starting at 2 p.m. and for kids 10 and up starting at 2:30 p.m. in the second-floor art gallery.

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