ON SATURDAY EVENING, with the temp at a balmy 45 degrees, crowds gathered in the heart of downtown Faribault for fireworks followed by a holiday parade as part of my city’s Winterfest celebration. Without snow and with such warmth, this felt nothing like weeks before Christmas in southern Minnesota. Yet, I wasn’t complaining. I’d rather be warm than cold.
That meant wearing long johns under my jeans, winter boots, a stocking cap and mittens, and a hooded sweatshirt under a lighter weight jacket (not the down-filled parka I initially thought I needed). I was prepared to stave off the evening chill while waiting.
Randy and I did lots of waiting. First for the fireworks to start (it was our choice to arrive early) and then during the parade (as lengthy gaps between units persisted). We even left early given the delays.
Aside from the waiting, the fireworks and Parade of Lights on Central proved wonderful. Festive and uplifting. There’s something about gathering to watch a parade that creates a true sense of community. Throngs crowded the edges of Central Avenue, leaving a single lane for vehicles, floats and parade participants to work their way through our historic downtown.
I love watching the kids. There’s magic in their enthusiasm. There’s magic in the way they scramble for candy and jump up and down. They exude pure joy.
You can’t help but feel happiness surging along the street as music and holiday lights and costumed characters all create a festive mood. Santa, the Grinch with Max his dog, a chubby snowman, an oversized gingerbread boy…I saw all of them and considered how these characters make us smile in the dark of December. Even as an adult, I still very much love the Grinch, who was transformed from mean to loving and caring. That gives me hope.
Glo sticks ringed necks. Freebie cowboy hats flashed atop heads. Babies bundled in snowsuits slept. Kids waited and watched. Youth danced and waved and smiled.
I especially enjoyed the contrast of fire and ice in two parade units. One featured a fire pit, the other what I can only assume was dry ice. They were decidedly creative, a switch-up from masses of holiday lights, inflatables and standard holiday decorations.
Unit by unit, person by person, the parade lit a path along Central Avenue, shining the light of the holidays upon everyone watching. Light. The lights of happiness and joy and love and hope and a feeling that, despite our differences, we are all alike. Craving light. Needing light. Immersing ourselves in the light of community on a December evening in Faribault.
© Copyright 2024 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
Minnesota Prairie Roots 
The lights!!!!!!!!! I love the lights. In the Christian communities, this is about the celebration of the birth of Christ, – and then we put in fairy tales and use pagan symbols in that celebration. Christmas Trees (a decidedly German item) and lights (another pagan thingy, – even Santa Claus (from Saint Nick), all come together in the celebration of this joyous occasion (even if Christ’s birth date is a bit off). I do not think God is put off, amused maybe. The love, kindness and joy and happiness knows no bounds. All the fireworks, fairy tales add much joy to parents who shock the little ones by festive tree and lights by the thousands, upon thousands. Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and May God Bless each and everyone.
I fully agree with everything you wrote, Gunny. Thanks for the historical background on some of our Christmas traditions. And a joyful Christmas to you, my friend!
what a beautiful and bright kickoff to fairbault’s holiday season! and like you, I’d rather that hot than cold )
It’s always fun to attend these holiday festivities. We have really cold weather moving in, I believe, tomorrow. Brrrr.
luckily for you, it was mild for this one
Great photos and report! We were there for it all. So wonderful to see all the children and long stream of creative floats. We especially liked that they handed out candy and such hand-to-hand rather than tossing handfuls on the ground for the kids to fight over. Many happy faces and big smiles. Thanks for the report!
It sounds like you really enjoyed the parade. I would have stayed until the end, but Randy was getting restless and, I think, cold. He didn’t wear long johns. And yes, handing out candy is a much safer idea. I didn’t like how close, though, that some kids were getting to motorized vehicles. It might help if parking was banned along Central during the parade, which would make the street wider and keep more people on the sidewalk.
We had a Light up the Night event with a parade on Saturday in Brevard and Chris and I attended. We sat inside our favorite Mexican restaurant and watched the parade start to go by from their huge windows and went outside to finish watching once we were done eating. It was the perfect way to view it. Love, love, love small town living and events that bring us all together especially after a trying fall .
You’ve definitely had a trying fall in NC. I hope everything is improving. So glad your community celebrated with this festive parade.
I love a good Christmas parade. There is something magical about watching Christmas lights in the dark.
It’s always fun. And magical.