New shop offering unique gifts for Fourth of July, other festivities

LANDRUM — Jennifer Ervin has always dreamed of having a holiday store.

With the opening of Holiday Galore Gifts and More this month, that dream came true.

She and her husband, John Ervin, moved to Landrum four years ago from Greenville. They recently purchased four buildings on Howard Street and started creating.

“The building is actually from 1912,” Ervin said. “It was the Tryon Lumber Company. The trains would pick up and unload lumber here.”

While her husband works on one of the other building to convert it into a “man cave” antique shop, Ervin has been putting the finishing touches on the holiday shop. She has stocked it with gifts and decorations for every holiday from Christmas to Fourth of July.

Ervin restored the building’s large open room, polished the wood floors and kept the wooden beams. Now, rather than stacks of lumber, the old building is filled with colors, twinkling lights and delightful smells.

Instead of walls or dividers, Ervin has used colors and themes to draw customers through the different holidays. A fireplace pulls the eye past a 6 foot tall nutcracker to stockings hung with care, an old rocker and a toy train set.

To the left is a wall filled with old timey style Christmas ornaments, many of which are handmade by local artists.

The back wall of the store explodes with patriotic red, white and blue, where Ervin has stocked everything families need to decorate for the perfect Fourth of July barbecue. She also has streamers, flags and funny “Uncle Sam” hats for the boating crowd.

“The Lake Lure crowd loves to decorate their boats for the Fourth,” Ervin said. “We have everything they will need.”

In the center of the store is a small Easter display and a Thanksgiving theme display, complete with ceramic jack o’ lanterns. The front wall is filled with scary masks and witches brooms for Halloween.

“It’s harder to find things for some holidays like Thanksgiving,” said Ervin. “There are 22 holidays we celebrate in this country. We try to have something for every one.”

Ervin has not forgotten the equestrian crowd in the area, and stocks many horse theme items, including exquisite hunt scene ornaments from Poland and less expensive, though still beautiful, horse model ornaments by local artists. She also carries many antique decorations and ornaments from estate sales around the area.

Not far from the fireplace is the kids corner with small toys, and a pet corner with gifts for dogs and cats.

Holiday Galore is also an Old World Christmas retailer. Ervin explained that Old World Christmas sells hand crafted, blown glass ornaments made with traditional techniques from the 1800s.

“They don’t sell to big box or discount stores,” she said.

Holiday Galore is located at 601 S. Howard St. in Landrum. Their hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m.

“We try to be open on all holidays for last minute needs,”  Ervin said. “We’ll even be open for a few hours on Christmas.”

For more information, visit www.Holidaygiftsgalore.com or call 864-457-1116.