By Star Journal staff

The wait will soon be over. The highly anticipated opening of Hobby Lobby in Rhinelander is just around the corner. According to a press release, an official grand opening and ribbon cutting will take place February 8 at 9 a.m.

The Rhinelander store is Hobby Lobby’s 20^th location in Wisconsin. Chris Schmid is the store manager of the 53,000 square foot retail store in the East Pointe Center, next to Shopko.

“We feel blessed for the fantastic opportunity to be a part of the Rhinelander community,” said John Schumacher, Assistant Vice President of Advertising. “Our goal is for customers to experience the exceptional service, selection and value Hobby Lobby offers.”

Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc. is a privately held national retail chain of craft and home decor stores headquartered in Oklahoma City. It was started in 1970 as a miniature picture frame company. Today, Hobby Lobby has over 650 stores across the nation that average 55,000 square feet in size. This major Oklahoma City-based private corporation offers more than 70,000 crafting and home decor products in its stores. Departments include floral, fabric, needle art, custom framing, baskets, home accents, wearable art, arts and crafts, jewelry making, scrapbooking and paper crafting supplies. Store hours are Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. All Hobby Lobby stores are closed on Sunday.