Gallery Hopping
Country Style

Are you looking for the perfect "Country get-a-way?" Look no further. Hickory Ridge is situated in the rolling hills of southeastern Ohio in a culture rich in art and scenic beauty.

Perched along the ridge top of some of SE Ohio’s most pristine and beautiful gentle rolling hills are the quaint shops and orchards of Hickory Ridge. This is a spot time has forgotten; a place unspoiled by urban sprawl and development. Here you will find art & crafts and gifts from nature that will satisfy any appetite and soul. Most of these “hidden treasures” are made by the Hickory Ridge artisans and their friends & neighbors.

The Hickory Ridge group was organized on April 12, 2004, to provide a marketing, advertising and promotional cooperative for its members. The group’s Mission Statement dedicates itself to:

* increase the awareness of the wide range of arts, crafts and nature’s food products available in the Hickory Ridge area;

* improve the overall economy of Morgan County;

* and to preserve, protect and hopefully increase the jobs of the workforce at the participating establishments.

A wide array of products are available at Hickory Ridge. Many are hand-crafted and include such items as Stained Glass art; birdhouses, lamps and more, made from century-old barn siding; grapevine wreaths and other primitive crafts, candles, soaps, etc.; fine furniture; hand-made brooms; antiques, natural foods, dog & cat lover products; and seasonal fresh fruits, jellies and jams.

During its first 15 months of existence, the Hickory Ridge group has attracted great interest all over Ohio. Feature articles about the group have appeared in Our Ohio and Country Living magazines, the Morgan County Herald; and spot news items were shown on area television channels. Ohio Gov. Bob Taft and T. J. Justice, director of the Governor’s Office on Appalachia, have visited the shops, and Ohio First Lady Hope Taft gave the unique bird houses (made on Hickory Ridge) to a national Governor’s meeting.

Groups such as the Ohio Arts Council, Foundation for Appalachian Ohio, Governor’s Office for Appalachia, and the Appalachian Ohio Regional Investment Coalition, have provided start-up financial assistance. Additional support has been received from the Morgan County Improvement Corp, and ACEnet.