Jellybean Town, USA Welcomed to Downtown Nazareth

The welcomed to downtown historic Nazareth in a formal ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday night.

In attendance were members of the chamber’s board of directors, area business owners, State Rep. Joe Emrick and, of course, the mascot.

Tara Carson, owner of , cut the ceremonial blue ribbon after some kind words from fellow chamber members.

“We certainly look forward to you prospering in town here,” said Daniel Thierry, first vice chairman of the chamber, just before handing the giant golden scissors to Carson.

“Thank you for coming to our downtown, and thank you for improving our downtown,” added Dan Chiavaroli, president of .

For Carson and her husband, John, the opening of Jellybean Town, an art studio for children and adults alike, is a longtime goal realized. The 52 S. Main St. storefront had to be completely remodeled, and most of what is now seen inside was designed and built by the Carsons.

“I’m very proud of them,” said Sandy Childress, who is not only Tara Carson’s mother but also the mild-mannered alter ego of the dancin’ Jellybean mascot. “They did this all themselves… and they couldn’t have picked a better place. Everyone is very helpful.”

Carson herself said that, since bringing her business to Nazareth, she’s gotten a very warm reception and has experienced plenty of curious people poking around the purple and blue storefront. 

“It’s bright, it’s cheery, colorful… I love it,” commented chamber president Tina Smith. “It’s the kind of thing we need downtown.”

Inside the studio, the setup is just like a small town, complete with five stores. 

“When you’re in the stores, you’re in Jellybean Town,” Carson explained in a previous interview with Patch.

The five stores of Jellybean Town are:

• A grocery store, complete with a checkout register;
• A post office, where kids can play letter carrier and deliver mail to the residents of Jellybean Town;
• A costume shop, where kids can try on different outfits;
• A fix-it shop, which Carson said was inspired by her husband, who is in the construction business;
• And a library.

“We’ll learn how each of these jobs is affected by art,” Carson said.

Carson plans to offer different classes for different age groups:

• Mornings will be filled with classes for younger children, including JellyTot (a variation of “Mommy & Me”)
• Afternoons will be for older children
• Evenings will be filled with arts-and-crafts classes for adults

Jellybean Town, which sports the slogan “Art is Everywhere,” will hold its grand opening celebration this Saturday, Jan. 28, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Parents are encouraged to bring their children to experience the games and play in the make-believe village.

Carson will also be holding sample art classes during the grand opening on Saturday for anyone who is curious to know more about Jellybean Town’s programs for both children and adults.