Hazel Dell Christmas store owner’s gift to self, family, community

Christmas in Vantucky is open year-round

By Will Campbell, Columbian Editor

Published: September 20, 2021, 6:00am

As Koleena Roth was piecing together her new year-round Christmas store, it was a source of joy for not only her but also the passersby, including children who’d “press their little noses on the storefront window,” she said.

“It’s just magical,” said Roth, who opened the family-run-and-owned Christmas store called Christmas in Vantucky in Hazel Dell, at 6202 N.E. Highway 99. “ I think the world needs it right now. It just makes you so happy. I could cry.”

Among the Christmas items that saturate the store, you’ll find ornaments, specialty food and candies, white elephant gifts, secret Santa, Ann Clark Cookie Cutters, commemorative “It’s a Wonderful Life” bells, figurines and much more. The store also sells online at its website, christmasinvantucky.com.

Opening the store has long been a dream of Roth’s family, including her son and store manager, Brandon Culp, and Roth’s granddaughter, Baily Railing, who is the company’s social marketing expert.

“We’ve always wanted a store,” Roth said. “My son and I used to talk about it when he was little, and my granddaughter and I talked about it when she was little. We love Christmas, and we thought there’s not a Christmas store around here.”

The family was planning to open before the pandemic hit, and they leased the space on Feb. 25, 2020. They’ve been sitting on the space since, waiting to open the shop. Meanwhile, Roth has been using the space for her other job, teaching contractors their required 16-hour class for Oregon contractor’s licenses.

The name “Christmas in Vantucky” came after much brainstorming from the family members.

“We were trying to come up with a name, but nothing gave us that feeling,” said Roth. “Brandon said, ‘How about Christmas in Vantucky?’ It was perfect. It’s the warmth. It’s the home we know. We knew immediately it was the right name.”

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