Grandview Hosts Winter Wonderland Village
Tiffon Brewer (l) and her mother, DiAnne Hughes (r) tweak a small portion of the landscape of their Winter Wonderland Village, currently on display at Grandview Assisted Living. The public is welcome to view the village through February.
By Kate Wolf
The holidays are finally over, the packages, ornaments, tinsel and Christmas trees have all been packed away for another year. We can all breathe a sigh of relief that real life can resume once again with its resolutions for the New Year, wish lists of what we want to accomplish in 2025 and renewed hope for the future. But, it’s still winter! (Ugh). One bright spot in the midst of the cold weather, blustery winds, ice and snow that are quintessentially Nebraska during this season, is the Winter Wonderland Village currently on display at Grandview Assisted Living in Ord through the month of February 2025.
As you climb the elegant staircase to the upper level, nothing prepares you for the sight of the enormous Hallmark ceramic village meticulously laid out like a quaint Norman Rockwell-style vintage town. Anyone whose first response isn’t, “Wow!” is definitely not paying attention. It is truly magical….the different buildings and numerous shops, over 40 houses, more than 500 trees depicting a natural variety, all the miniature people, and even a realistic pond with tiny moving skaters are just a small part of this lush winter landscape. Erecting the massive display began in November 2024.
The wonderful collection is a labor of love by the family of Allen and DiAnne Hughes of Ord, started by his parents in 1987, and first set up in 1996. Their daughter, Tiffon (Hughes) Brewer is the third generation to continue growing and expanding the exhibit. At one time, the village featured four trains on 100 feet of track, two 7x10 foot mountains created from Styrofoam, as well as a real working waterfall flowing into a water-filled lake stocked with minnows and goldfish. It was massive and amazing. People came from miles around just to see it!
Sadly, a barn fire in May of 2023 caused enormous damage with the loss of over 100 ceramic structures. The heroic efforts of the Ord Volunteer Fire Department and others helped to save the majority of the display pieces but the Hughes family has been in the process of rebuilding their collection ever since. They are hoping to increase the scope of the display and add the trains to the Grandview exhibit next year. Anyone with similar ceramic Hallmark-type village pieces they no longer want and might wish to donate to this effort can contact Tiffon Brewer at 712-882-3092.
It typically requires two months to build the village and it’s a total family project. Steven Brewer, Tiffon’s husband, builds the platform, sets it up and provides electrification so everything works. The location of each structure must be marked and labeled so nothing gets missed. Kevin makes the landscape totally seamless, adding snowflakes to the roads and pathways for enhanced realism. Hughes and her daughter, Tiffon, provide the finishing touches and tweak the exhibit until it’s perfect. One great thing about the collection, Hughes noted, is that it provides gift-giving solutions within the family year around.
The public is invited to come and view this amazing display at Grandview during the afternoons or early evenings. Schools, clubs, churches, organizations, children’s groups and families are all encouraged to visit through the month of February while the exhibit remains open to the public. You won’t be sorry you did!