Looking down Central Avenue in historic downtown Faribault.
IT’S BEGINNING TO LOOK a lot like Christmas in historic downtown Faribault, despite the lack of snow.
A Peanuts theme plays on the windows of the former Kay’s Floral building at the corner of Central Avenue and Fourth Street/Minnesota State Highway 60.
Evergreen boughs adorn wrought iron fences. Snowflake lights and holiday banners hang from vintage style street lamps. White lights drape trees, creating a festive mood. And, throughout the downtown, merchants showcase Christmas displays in storefront windows. There’s something magical about a business district transformed for the holidays.
Lights wrap trees in the downtown including next to the Signature Bar & Grill, Faribault’s version of “Cheers.” Here you’ll find, in my opinion, the best pizza in town.
A snippet of the festive window display at Vohs Floors, which celebrates 70 years in business in 2016. Harry Vohs started the business in his living room. The second-generation flooring store is owned by his son, Karl, and Karl’s wife, Ann.
The Crafty Maven created this window display for the vintage theme division of the holiday window decorating contest. The display highlights businesses that were open in Faribault when sisters and Maven owners, Beth Westerhouse and Dee Bjork, were growing up here. Many of those businesses are no longer open. The Crafty Maven also will close in January.
Wednesday evening, in balmy weather that is more September-like than December, I grabbed my camera in an attempt to capture some of the magic that is Faribault. Mine is a city of some 23,000 that takes pride in its downtown, a place of aged, well-kept buildings. There’s a sense of history here, a sense of community connection. Small town appeal.
Santa inside Vohs Floors.
From sleigh rides to visits with Santa to a holiday window decorating contest and more, there’s much to see and do. Faribault Main Street and downtown merchants are working hard to welcome locals and visitors alike with “Hometown Holidays” events.
Paradise Community Theatre presents “Twice the Cheer: A Charlie Brown Christmas and The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” this weekend at the Paradise Center for the Arts.
This Saturday, for example, you can participate in the following activities:
- Holiday Snack Contest: Buy a $5 wristband and sample holiday snacks and appetizers at downtown businesses.
- noon – 3 pm, Free sleigh rides downtown
- 1 – 4 pm, Shattuck-St. Mary’s School Christmas Walk (including a 2:30 pm Holiday Performing Arts Showcase and a 7 pm Holiday Figure Skating Show)—Click here for a complete schedule of this free community event on the school’s east-side campus.
- 1 pm doors open for free showing of The Polar Express at The Village Family Theater
- 7:30 pm, Paradise Community Theatre performance of Twice the Cheer at the Paradise Center for the Arts
Keepers Antiques shows some holiday glitz in its window display.
Wedding and party glam spotlighted at Weddings by Deb.
Festively dressed dolls snug a sewing machine at B & J Sewing Center.
If you’ve never been to Faribault, come, spend an afternoon and/or evening here in a city that’s all decked out for the holidays. Meander through our one-of-a-kind shops. Enjoy the hospitality of friendly merchants. Celebrate the magic of the season in southeastern Minnesota.
BONUS PHOTOS:
This winter wonderland in the window of Dufour’s Cleaners was voted the all-around favorite in the holiday window decorating contest. Thousands of cotton balls were used to create the snow in the scene.
Studio 14 Salon & Spa placed first in the Peanuts theme division of the window decorating competition.
Here’s the other side of the Peanuts display at Studio 14.
Charlie Brown and crew also occupy a window space at the Paradise Center for the Arts. The PCA won for best vintage theme.
Nearby is this holiday window at Paul Swenson Portraits.
A vintage sled rests in a front window at Vohs Floors.
An overview of the vintage themed window display at The Crafty Maven.
© Copyright 2015 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
Minnesota Prairie Roots 
I really, really like the blue and white door surround in the second photo. Classic, restrained and both an invitation and a prayer.
I really like it, too. And this is placed in one of the most highly-visible locations in our downtown.
One of the big joys of Christmas in the 50’s and 60’s was the wonderful way that stores decorated their windows. We would always make it a point to spend an evening downtown.
By the way, did you catch the Christmas Train this year?
I don’t remember holiday decorated windows at all from my youth. Rather, we would drive through Tangle Town, a residential neighborhood of curvy streets near my grandpa’s house in Redwood Falls, to see Christmas lights.
No, I didn’t see the Christmas Train. Did you? One of these years…
The Christmas train came through Owatonna on Tuesday and Austin on Wednesday. The crowds were huge – but the best place to see it is in Blooming Prairie as chugs down the tracks with light-a-blazing.
Thanks for that tip. Next year will you email me with info on the BP appearance. Does the train stop in Blooming Prairie?
Thank you for sharing. This is a district possibility for this Saturday afternoon…$5 for snacks – oh yeah!
We’d love to have you and Cyndie visit Faribault. Maybe I’ll see you out and about. Definitely try to get up to Shattuck. Just getting inside the lovely old buildings decorated for Christmas is a treat. Love the figure skating show also.
Loving the Festive Photos – Puts Me Right In the Spirit, Touches My Heart and Makes Me Smile 🙂 – thanks so much for sharing. Happy Weekend – Enjoy!
You are welcome.
Snoopy, Woodstock, Charlie Brown…the gang!!!! Must be Christmas (in spite of what the White House says). Love all and don’t miss the snow. A lot of downtown areas have heated sidewalks which do away with the snow, for the most part!!!!!
Really, heated sidewalks? Where?
Downtown Mpls…..at least they were when we were there……a safety thing, I think.
That’s what I thought…in a big city.
Thank you for the wonderful pictures. My daughter is performing in the show at the Paradise and my son and I spent time walking downtown just the other evening. It is a wonder of lights and cheer as we welcome Christmas.
I’m going to the play this weekend, so I will be certain to note your daughter’s role. My daughters were angels in The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, performed at Trinity Lutheran Church 24 years ago. They were four and six and darling angels. This show will bring back lots of wonderful memories.
Loving the look of downtown Faribault! Love the window with the wedding dress, beautiful display! The weather has really made it easy to be out and about enjoying all the festivities…..now if only we had snow, even just a little would be nice 🙂
Thanks for sharing your beautiful festive city…looks amazing!
Oh, Jackie, I know how you love your snow. I’m fine without it until Christmas Eve. I do like a white Christmas. Mostly I don’t like snow because it complicates travel and it’s work to shovel.
What a festive street view, and winter window scenes! You really capture the essence of winter/Christmas in your photographs, Audrey. Not many towns in this part of the country decorate much for the holidays. Thank you for sharing your neck of the woods with us!
I think window decorating truly makes a downtown even more appealing and sets an inviting mood.
As always Audrey you do a beautiful job making downtown Faribault look enchanting. You’re a wonderful hometown booster! Thank you for the beautiful photos.
Thank you, Dee. I love your window at The Crafty Maven. Every year yours is so creative.
Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Love the pictures! I like a town that decorates its streets and businesses that decorate their windows. It brings back the flavor of the town! I especially like your picture of the flexible flyer sled ( at least it looks like one but I could be wrong) that I spent hours riding on in my youth. I suppose that makes me vintage too!
Same sled I rode as a kid. So then I’m vintage, too.
Yet again, you capture the very essence of small town America.
Thank you.
i agree with all the comments how much you are a champion for your hometown. You certainly are a community booster. Let us (readers) know what events/activates you go.to this weekend.
Wrapped gifts for the Trinity Angel Tree last evening. Rang bells for the Salvation Army this morning. Not sure I will find time to get to any of the events. Just too much to do. But maybe.
I really like the close-up of the mannequins in the first Crafty Maven picture. It’d be interesting to see that photo in black and white.
What a great idea, Michael. That would make the scene appear even more vintage.
Gorgeous. I do love this time of year and seeing everything lit up in pretty lights. The problem Down Under, is that we are in summer with daylight saving and so it doesn’t get dark until after 8pm. By the time the lights are shining, I’m ready for bed! I can’t believe you don’t have any snow! xx
We had some snow, but it melted. Temps here this weekend were in the 40s. Coats optional. However, colder weather is predicted this week as is snow.
Great pictures. I love all of the Peanuts displays
Thank you. Yesterday we attended the plays, A Charlie Brown Christmas, paired with The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, at our local Paradise Center for the Arts. They were fabulous.
So beautiful. I love the Peanuts displays as well. It is such a beautiful time of year.
And to add to this, the local theatre presented A Charlie Brown Christmas.