LINCOLNTON––“Mistletoe Magic” is back at Untapped Territory.

The downtown Lincolnton venue, located at 118 E. Water St. and known for regional beers and wines as well as live music, has been a popular spot for oenophiles and those awestruck by ales ever since it opened four years ago. And according to co-owner Marie Kenyon, the family-owned, family-run business opted this year to bring back a big hit from the immediate Christmas past.

Kenyon told The Herald more Tuesday.

“Last year,” she said, “we decided to utilize the 20-by-40-foot shelter behind Untapped Territory to create an illuminated walk-through experience for our customers and town. It was a Christmas card to the community, considering we all weathered the pandemic. We repurposed lights from our home, gathered used trees from Facebook Marketplace and gathered a team of volunteers. The plywood deer and sleigh were made by (husband and co-owner Brian Kenyon) Brian’s stepdad and given to us when we moved from New Jersey to North Carolina in 1996. It’s especially meaningful to us to give them new life in our display, as his mom and stepdad are no longer with us.”

Mrs. Kenyon continued that she and her family consider themselves fortunate to know so many creative local people, including Rob and Heather Tompkins.

“Heather is a talented artist who has done small art jobs for Untapped Territory,” she said, adding that she herself worked with Mrs. Tompkins to create the design. “Her husband, Rob, is equally talented and executes Heather’s carpentry ideas. The volunteers (including Brian and sons Matt, Adrian and John Kenyon) devoted a day to install the trees and lights the week of Thanksgiving.”

Then, Mrs. Tompkins and Mrs. Kenyon fine-tuned the details until all was complete.

“Brian is invaluable in making sure all the lights and electricity can be turned on and off with minimal work,” Mrs. Kenyon noted, adding that the display would be on every night until Christmas. “We have to take it down before our New Year’s Eve party.

“This year’s design is different from last year’s,” she continued. “There is a big mistletoe for making your own magical moment under the twinkling lights. You can bring your family for pictures.”

And you can share those pictures on Instagram at @untappedterritory, as Mrs. Kenyon revealed.

“We really want Lincolnton to enjoy it,” she said. “No alcohol purchase is necessary to come experience ‘Mistletoe Magic’!”