With big-city offerings like boutique shopping, historic inns, acclaimed restaurants, and theater performances, Abingdon, Virginia, is a far-flung highlands town with a remarkably vibrant spirit.
Blake Lunsford sharpens his knives for Santa Claus.
This woodcarver fashions Saint Nick figurines all year long, transforming bare wood into intricate faces of Kris Kringle with joy and delight for all ages.
âChristmas has a rush,â said Lunsford, of Bristol, Tennessee.
Lunsford, 47, a social services supervisor, grew up in Abingdon, Virginia, where he graduated from Abingdon High School in 1991.
He started carving Santa Claus figurines about 15 years ago as a stress-reliever. By now, he figures heâs chiseled Kris Kringleâs face about 500 times.
For years, Lunsford sold his works at the Holston Mountain Artisans, where he served as president of the long-standing art guild. He also sold his Santa Claus figurines at Heartwood near the campus in Virginia Highlands Community College.