On Friday September 4, 2026 we were driving by Big Gem Park in Shenandoah and noticed the old truck was gone.
We asked Shenandoah Town Manager Charlie Jenkins what happened to the old truck and he replied “Time to take a break. Going back to bringing it out for special occasions.”
The original Beautification Committee unveiled their first Christmas Truck in 2014 and they brought it back in 2015. In 2016 they featured a Patriotic Truck and in 2017 they decorated the truck for Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Easter Truck and Autumn Truck.
From our article The First Christmas Truck-2014
At first glance you might think the attached Christmas truck picture is a Norman Rockwell Christmas card. It’s actually the result of a lot of hard work from the Shenandoah Beautification Committee’s Christmas decorations at Big Gem Park in Shenandoah. The truck is on loan from Richard Auto Salvage on Comertown Road in Shenandoah. The group went to the salvage yard looking for an antique truck. David Stepp told them to look around and pick anything they wanted. Once they got it in place, the team went to work outlining the truck with colored Christmas lights and placed a Christmas tree with white lights in the bed of the truck. The community has fallen in love with the truck! It seems like every time you drive by the location, someone is taking a picture of the truck with family and friends. The Beautification Committee is also responsible for the wonderful decorations in Big Gem Park, to include the hand made Peace, Joy, Love & Hope display made by Todd Shenk owner of Riverside Woodworks. They also set up the small representation of the Nativity scene across the highway from Big Gem Park. Committee members are Amenda Wood- President, Sharon Shenk, Sue Kite, Phil Secrest, Betty Secrest, Connie Switzer, Phyllis Campbell, Susie Stepp, Linda West, Peggie Rhinehart, Joyce Shifflett and Bonnie Housden. Photos courtesy Shenandoah Newz cohost Amos Thomas. Update: From Shenandoah Newz Facebook page on December 14, 2024 Under a picture of the First Christmas Truck, Tracy Triggs indicated that the old truck used to be her father’s truck before going to Stepps Salvage yard.
On April 23, 2017 in their newsletter they announced “The Truck” has been such a popular attraction, including a venue for photos. Therefore, we have continued to display decorations for some of the other holidays such as Valentines Day, St. Patrick’s Day, and Easter. Plans are underway to place flowers and other decorative items in the truck bed for spring and summer.
Posted below is an article we posted in December 5, 2021 titled Thank You And Farwell to the Shenandoah Beautification Committee.
This week we learned the sad news that the Shenandoah Beautification Committee had come to an end. This group was formed in May 2005 by Dee Sampson to beautify our community. Their goals were to beautify the Town of Shenandoah for the enjoyment of our citizens, our visitors, area businesses, and to increase community involvement and to be an economic asset for our town. We can say without a doubt that they met and exceeded all of their prescribed goals! For over 16 years this small group of volunteers decorated our town for all the holidays and seasons. We don’t have the names of the volunteers of the Beautification Committee over the years, so please share this post in hopes that former members of this wonderful group can see how much we really appreciated their hard work over the years!
We have to say we believe their most popular decoration was their Truck! They unveiled their famous Christmas Truck in December 2014. Since then, they kept it in place and changed it up throughout the year according to the holidays and seasons. Countless number of residents, groups and visitors traveling thru our town stop each year to have their picture taken next to their picturesque nostalgic truck.
Example of some of their other beautification projects include-
- Decorated Big Gem Park in Autumn and displayed In Honor/Memory Bows and decorated park for Christmas.
- Displaying Scarecrows and planted flowers along Rt 340 and First Street.
- Decorated and planted flowers throughout the year at each of the towns three welcome signs.
- Planted flowers in the triangle next to the railroad underpass on First Street.
Displayed below is a screen shot of the Beautifications website as displayed in July 2011.
“History- In May of 2005, by the request of the mayor and the Town Council of Shenandoah, it was suggested the Town needed to be beautified.
Dee Sampson volunteered to start this project and checked with surrounding towns of Luray and Elkton. After talking and visiting with them and online research with the State of Virginia Garden Association, it was determined that we needed something different. She gathered a group and volunteers together and the became the Shenandoah Beautification Committee.
Goal- The goal of the SBC is to beautify the Town of Shenandoah for the enjoyment of our citizens, our visitors, area businesses, increase community involvement and to be an economic asset for our Town.”
Displayed above is a screen shot of the Beautifications website as displayed in July 2011.
“History- In May of 2005, by the request of the mayor and the Town Council of Shenandoah, it was suggested the Town needed to be beautified.
Dee Sampson volunteered to start this project and checked with surrounding towns of Luray and Elkton. After talking and visiting with them and online research with the State of Virginia Garden Association, it was determined that we needed something different. She gathered a group and volunteers together and the became the Shenandoah Beautification Committee.
Goal- The goal of the SBC is to beautify the Town of Shenandoah for the enjoyment of our citizens, our visitors, area businesses, increase community involvement and to be an economic asset for our Town.”
This picture was taken February 26, 2009 at one of the Shenandoah Beautification meetings at the Shenandoah Town hall.
This picture was taken February 26, 2009 at one of the Shenandoah Beautification meetings at the Shenandoah Town hall.
This picture was taken on December 9, 2017 at their famous truck. Left to right are Susie Stepp, Amenda Wood & Sharon Shenk.
This picture was posted on December 22, 2017 on Rudy’s Diner Facebook page. With the following comments: “We want to personally thank the Shenandoah Beautification Committee for having their Christmas Dinner with us but more importantly than that we would like to thank them all for always making our little town so beautiful. These ladies are always changing out flower pots through out the town for the different seasons and adding decorations here and there and we just want to say Thank You, it doesn't go unnoticed!”
Follow link below to view a collection of Shenandoah Beautification Committee decorations in Shenandoah over the past few years.
Shenandoah Beautification Committee Articles
