A Northfield Arts and Culture Commission mural by Brett Whitacre, just off Division Street in Northfield, blooms love. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
IS IT COLD out there?” I asked before rolling out of bed on a recent subzero morning.
In an underpass tunnel along a recreational trail in Northfield, Adam Turman created this summer scene on a mural. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
“No, it’s summertime,” he answered.
A Montgomery Wings Mural Walk wing on Lanette’s Coffee Shop features flowers watered by Scarlett, who is wearing traditional Czech clothing. That honor’s the Czech heritage of Montgomery, MN. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
That sarcastic response from my husband acted as a writing prompt during this week of cold weather advisories and warnings in Minnesota. We’ve experienced wind chills ranging from -25 to -50 degrees across the state. That’s brutally cold.
Wild geraniums painted by Adam Turman inside an underpass tunnel in Northfield. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
On the morning I asked Randy about the cold, the 7:17 a.m. air temp registered -12 degrees. With the wind chill, it felt like -29 degrees. That marked the coldest day in six years. I know we are not alone here in Minnesota as frigid air and snow sweep the country, including into the deep South.
Flowers fill the LoveForAll mural by Jordyn Brennanin downtown Faribault. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
Because I can’t flee to a warmer location, I opted to transport myself from the currently cold, colorless landscape of southern Minnesota to a place of beauty. Without leaving the area. For me, that comes in photos I’ve taken of floral-themed murals blooming throughout the area. In the deep of winter, these paintings hold the hope of warmer days, of sunshine and flowers.
My most recent mural discovery was several months ago on Wild Wood in Nerstrand. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
I love when communities embrace this form of public art, because murals are accessible to anyone, anytime. They spark joy, generate interest in place, show community pride. I get excited when I unexpectedly happen upon a mural.
The rare Dwarf Trout Lily grows only in Rice, Steele and Goodhue counties in Minnesota and is depicted here by Adam Turman on an underpass tunnel wall in Northfield.(Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
Floral-themed murals, especially, have a way of uplifting spirits, of celebrating all that is beautiful and lovely. Bold, vivid hues in the deep of January in Minnesota, offer a welcome visual respite.
A close-up of mums and peonies, forefront, in Jordyn Brennan’s LoveForAll mural. Faribault was once renowned for those two flowers. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
I can almost imagine meandering through a flower garden, dipping my nose into blossoms, appreciating each scent, each petal, each stem. Oh, the beauty of it all.
Floral-themed wings appropriately placed outside Posy Floral & Gifts in Montgomery as part of the Montgomery Wings Mural Walk. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
On these frigid days, when I view a drab landscape of muted tones, trees stripped of leaves, snow layering the earth, I delight in sharing the floral murals I’ve photographed. No one ever promised me a rose garden. But these murals hold the promise of spring and of summertime in Minnesota.
An imaginative depiction of a dragon on the merry-go-round at LARK Toys, Kellogg, perhaps not unlike dragons featured in fantasy novels. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
I LOVE WHEN KIDS, like my 8-year-old granddaughter, Isabelle, love to read. It sets them on a path for success in school. If you can read, you can learn anything. I’ve always believed that, except perhaps when it comes to math. Reading didn’t help me there.
Book cover image sourced online.
But Izzy isn’t thinking about math; her dad is a math whiz anyway. Rather, she’s focused on reading for the love of reading a good story. On a recent visit, she could barely contain her excitement about Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke. Izzy quickly finished the first volume in the series and then breezed through the next two.
A back-to-school display filled the bookshop windows at the start of the 2024-2025 school year. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo 2024)
There’s a story here about Dragon Rider. Izzy’s mom, my eldest, found the fantasy novel while we were shopping at Books on Central, a used bookstore run by Rice County Area United Way at 227 Central Avenue North, Faribault. All proceeds go to local nonprofits supported by the United Way. Initially, Izzy wasn’t too excited about the book. But soon after we arrived home, she was snugged in the recliner reading.
I photographed the poetry section, right, during one of my visits to the bookshop. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo 2024)
This is exactly what grandparents, parents and the good folks at Books on Central like to see. The volunteer-run bookshop just completed its first full year of operation with more than $30,000 in used book sales during 2024, according to lead volunteers Dave and Jeanne Campbell. That’s a whole lot of books considering kids’ books sell for a buck or two and adult books for a bit more.
Among the books I’ve purchased at Books on Central. The book on the left features a cover photo of an elevator moved from my hometown of Vesta onto a nearby farm. The book includes writing by Larry Gavin of Faribault. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo 2025)
I’m thrilled that the Faribault community and beyond has embraced and supported this used bookstore by donating books and by buying them. It’s a win-win for everyone. People can get rid of books they no longer need, find books to read and help their neighbors. Bookshop proceeds assist The United Way in their mission of focusing on financial stability, health and education.
Previously in the display window at the bookshop. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
And education includes reading. The local United Way supports Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, which provides a free book a month to registered area children for the first five years of their lives. Dolly’s Book Bash, an annual fundraiser to support the program, is set for Friday, January 24, with doors opening at 6:30 p.m. at the Northfield Ballroom. The event features music, line dancing, an auction and games.
Signs marking the location as a former jewelry store remained when the bookshop opened. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
Back at Books on Central in Faribault, the bookshop is, in some ways, magical. The setting is in the former Dandelet Jewelry with beautiful built-in wooden shelving and drawers and a chandelier centering the space. In the back, kids have an area all their own to peruse the many books ranging from board books for babies to picture books to novels like Dragon Rider. The whole space feels inviting, enchanting.
This is a well-organized bookshop. Volunteers know the books and where to find them. Inventory changes often. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo 2024)
Sales of 2,661 books totaling about $9,000 in the last quarter of 2024 reflect the incredible support and enthusiasm for Books on Central. Those numbers are remarkable considering the bookshop is typically open only 24 hours a week and is totally volunteer-run. Volunteer hours in 2024 totaled 4,479.
Jeff Jarvis talks about the Dakota during a June presentation at Books on Central. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo June 2024)
This place is more than a volunteer-run used bookstore. It’s also a place to connect, to build community, to learn. Books on Central hosts frequent literary events featuring area writers. I attended a poetry reading by published poet, retired Faribault High School English teacher and friend Larry Gavin. I could listen to Larry read poetry all day. The way language flows from his mind to his fingertips to create poems, well, it’s magical. He has a radio reading voice that mesmerizes. I also listened to a group of Northfield poets read their poems at Books on Central. I heard local historian, writer and artist Jeff Jarvis talk about the Faribault Dakota. And I delighted in the engaging storytelling of native Tanzanian Joseph Mbele, a St. Olaf College professor, consultant and author of several books, his newest Chickens in the Bus—More Thoughts on Cultural Differences.
New signage was installed on the building in late 2024. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo 2024)
I love that my granddaughter enjoys going to Books on Central. She’s discovered it’s a special place where, if you look (or let your mom look), you’ll discover a silver dragon flying between the pages of a book.
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FYI: Books on Central is open from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday-Friday and from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturdays. Donated books are accepted, but must be in good condition. Volunteers sort and clean the books, determining which to stock. You will not find musty and moldy smelling books here.
Time passes… (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
THE END OF A YEAR always evokes a time of personal reflection. A time to consider the events, the moments, the feelings, the blessings that stood out in the 366 days passed. I’ve selected five, from the many, that happened in my life. Certainly, there’s much more that affected me personally. But these are ones that imprinted deeply upon me.
My unborn grandson’s room, photographed at Thanksgiving. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo November 2024)
1. A BLESSING BREWING
The year 2024 brought incredibly joyful news to my family. That news came in a six-pack of all natural & locally brewed craft beer from Big News Brewing Co. My second daughter and her husband brought the beer in August, when they arrived from Madison, Wisconsin for the annual Helbling family reunion.
I was excited to taste this beer from a new brewery (so I was told) in Madison. I pulled out a bottle, read the label, BABY Boyd IS BREWING—ARRIVING JANUARY 2025, and realized this was no ordinary beer. I was about to become a grandma for the third time. Miranda and John pulled off the surprise. I was so focused on the journalistic aspect of the Big News Brewing Co. name that I totally missed the bare baby feet graphics on the necks of the bottles. Soon that baby boy will arrive.
A message from Barb, published in the memorial folder at her funeral. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo April 2024)
2. THE BLESSINGS OF FRIENDSHIP
On the flip side of birth is death. And in 2024, I lost a dear friend, Barb, to cancer. We have been part of the same couple’s bible study group for some 20 years. I’ve lost track. As she neared the end of life, Barb and her family opened their doors wide so family and friends could come and go. We carried in meals and, more importantly, love. Barb, no matter how awful she felt, always had time for visitors. Her strength, her unwavering faith, her cheerful attitude uplifted all of us. She understood the value in being together, of approaching death with courage and faith. Of saying goodbye.
But it was after Barb’s funeral, as her casket was wheeled out of church to the waiting hearse, that I felt the full blessings of the friendship we (and by “we” I mean our bible study group) shared. Barb had chosen the guys as pallbearers. We six women stood side-by-side waiting as our husbands gathered around the casket. I stretched out my arms, motioning for my friends to come close, to wrap our arms around one another. There we stood, a line of women linked. Linked in grief, friendship and love. It was a powerful moment.
Flags for countries of origin displayed at a past International Festival in Faribault celebrating my community’s diversity. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
3. A BLESSING FROM A NEW FRIEND
Also powerful was the moment I met a Venezuelan immigrant while on a walk in Faribault’s Central Park. Adolfo was pushing his one-year-old grandson, Milan, in a stroller when I paused to greet them. I learned that Adolfo had fled violence and Communism in his home country and wanted desperately to get his family to America. His pain was palpable. “We’re so happy to have you here,” I told my new friend. Adolfo responded with a broad smile and the words “God bless you” as he made the sign of the cross and held his hands to his heart. I will forever cherish that moment and the memories of the morning I met Adolfo and Milan in Central Park.
A graphic of the first coronavirus. Source: CDC
4. BLESSING ANOTHER
I am also grateful for the opportunities I’ve had in 2024 to encourage a young man, whom I’ll call J, in his struggles with long haul COVID. A friend, after a short conversation in a grocery store parking lot, connected me to J’s mom and from there the door was opened. I understand how devastating this diagnosis. I spent six months in vestibular rehab therapy in 2023 trying to overcome the many debilitating symptoms of long haul COVID. I’m better now, but still experience residual, primarily with sensory overload issues.
J’s case is much more severe than mine, especially physically. He had to drop out of college, used a wheelchair, struggled with overwhelming symptoms too numerous to mention. I tried to offer him hope, support and encouragement. Empathy, compassion and understanding. I also referred him to my physical therapist, whom J is now seeing. Few people understand this chronic condition, or even make an effort to understand, which makes working through long haul COVID even harder. That I could take my experiences and help J, and his mom, has helped me, too. I can see the good in a very difficult year in my life when I was basically home-bound. Empathy and the capacity to help others grows with each challenge we face in life.
Randy and I with the mandala our son crafted for us. (Copyrighted photo by Caleb Helbling)
5. BLESSED WITH LOVE
Finally, my last memorable moment of 2024 came just recently with a Christmas gift from my son, who was visiting from Boston. Caleb gifted Randy and me with a mandala he laser cut from plywood, stained and glued together. Six layers. When I realized what it was, I wept. I cried because of the love Caleb’s gift represents. I cried because I recognized the time, effort and thought he put into crafting this artwork for us. Hearts theme the piece. It speaks “family.” If art can capture love, this mandala holds endless love.
And so 2024 ends. A year that brought joy and sadness. But also a year overflowing with love…from family to friends to community.
The National Eagle Center in Wabasha. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo 2014)
I expect this designation will draw more visitors to Wabasha. I last visited the Eagle Center in 2014 and need to return as it was recently expanded and updated, building on an already impressive place to learn about eagles.
Up close with an eagle at the National Eagle Center along the Mississippi River in Wabasha. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo 2014)
Wabasha’s National Eagle Center not only houses rehabilitated resident eagles (used in programming), but also features eagles in art, history and more. I’m all about learning more about a bird which I never tire of seeing. There’s something about an eagle soaring that imprints upon me a sense of awe.
The Bicentennial Eagle by A. Giannelli inside the National Eagle Center. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo 2014)
On Christmas Day, as Randy and I sat home alone eating French toast (instead of a ham dinner due to illness in the family), I looked out the dining room window to see a large bird flying directly toward our house. Even as high as the bird flew, I recognized it as an eagle. Soon I spotted a second trailing eagle.
Just south of Union Lake Trail along Rice County Road 46, a bald eagle watches me. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo 2018)
This isn’t the first time I’ve seen bald eagles simply by looking out windows in my south Faribault home. I’ve watched an eagle glide low past our picture window. I’ve seen one a block away flying at treetop level. Several blocks up the hill, an eagle flew above Fourth Avenue Southwest. I’ve observed an eagle following the course of the Straight River while dining at The Depot Bar & Grill. On Faribault’s north side, I’ve spotted eagles flying near the Cannon and Straight Rivers. On the way to Dundas, eagles perch in a nest visible from Minnesota State Highway 3.
Eagles perch in a tree near Waseca. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo 2012)
I’ve seen eagles in other areas of Rice County and in Waseca County. They are seemingly everywhere throughout Minnesota.
Glimpse of a bald eagle in a lakeside treetop south of Crosslake in central Minnesota. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
To the north in the Brainerd lakes area of Central Minnesota, eagles once nested in a tree at a family member’s lake cabin. The nest fell in a storm, but the eagles relocated along Horseshoe Lake. So there’s still plenty of eagle watching at the cabin.
Eagles suspended from the ceiling and a view of the Mississippi River from the second floor of the National Eagle Center. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo 2014)
We once nearly hit a bald eagle south of Hackensack as it lifted off the shoulder just as our van passed. Let me tell you that seeing the massive wing span (from 5 to 8 feet) of an adult eagle passing across your windshield is not only startling, but scary. Fortunately, the eagle cleared the windshield. Near Kenyon another grazing-on-roadkill eagle took flight within seconds of our van striking it. Aside from those close encounters, eagle watching has proven pleasant.
My photo of an eagle and dove at the Rice County Veterans Memorial now hangs in the Minnesota Veterans Home, Bemidji. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
The bald eagle at the vets park in Morristown flanked by flags. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
The bald eagle symbolizes freedom and strength. Now to have this majestic bird as our national bird seems fitting. And long overdue. The bald eagle is a powerful symbol connected to democracy. To see an eagle soar is to see freedom soaring.
Me, in the red jumper, with my siblings Doug (back) and front, left to right, Monica, Brian and Lanae on Christmas Eve 1964in our childhood home. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
NOSTALGIA SHAPES my Christmas tree choice, as I expect it may yours. I want a tree that is short-needled, imperfect, leaning toward Charlie Brownish. That type of unshaped tree is the tree of my childhood Christmases on a southwestern Minnesota dairy and crop farm.
UPDATE:Ken’s Christmas Trees, 1407 Fourth St. NW., Faribault, has closed for the season. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo December 2024)
In the old 1 ½-story wood-frame farmhouse where I lived the first 11 years of my life with my parents and four of my five siblings (Brad wasn’t yet born, the new house not yet built), our Christmas tree sat on the end of the Formica kitchen table. The house was too small to put the tree elsewhere. An oil-burning stove occupied much of the tiny living room, which would be the usual spot to place a tree.
A touch of red at Ken’s Christmas Trees, which also sells wreaths and evergreen garland. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo December 2024)
I loved that the tree sat on the table, which was draped with a red-and-white checked oilcloth tablecloth matching the red-and-white checkered linoleum tile floors. Kitchen walls were painted yellow on top with some type of red-bordered gray wall covering below. A maroon Naugahyde rocker sat in front of the trap door leading to the dirt-floored cellar.
An overview of Ken’s Christmas Trees, located in a lot next to Jersey Mike’s. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo December 2024)
In that setting, Dad placed our grocery store Christmas tree. On the kitchen table, on the end next to the window facing west. Imagine gathering there in the dark of December, Dad in from doing chores, Mom dishing up meat, boiled potatoes, gravy and a side vegetable to pass around. Homemade bread piled on a plate. Milk from our cows poured into cups. Meals during the holiday season held a bit of magic because of that tiny Christmas tree.
Tinsel sparkled in the glow of holiday lights. To this day, I drape tinsel on my tree even if it’s a bit of a hassle. I love the old-fashioned look, the memories connected to tinsel.
This paper Baby Jesus goes on my Christmas tree every year. It’s from the 1960s, from my Sunday School Christmas lesson. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
I remember favorite ornaments, too. The wax lamb, which Mom cautioned not to hang too close to the heat of a bulb. The glittery gray dove. The mini white church with a red window, hung near a red bulb so the window glowed. The colorful vintage round ornaments that we handled with care lest they break, and some did. I have a few of those. And then the paper baby Jesus, nestled in a manger, and an angel robed in white. I have both, cut from Sunday School lessons and looped with yarn to hang from evergreen boughs.
My husband,Randy, accompanied by Ken’s son, carries our $37 tree to the van. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo December 2024)
When I shop for my Christmas tree each December, usually at Ken’s Christmas Trees in Faribault, these visuals guide me. I am, I suppose, attempting to recapture those Christmases of yesteryear. A time when, unencumbered by the responsibilities of adulthood, I experienced the absolute joy of the season. There were no worries—only that of remembering my line for the Sunday School Christmas service.
This cut-out of Ken Mueller stood at the tree lot in 2023. Mueller faced a major health crisis this past year, but has since recovered. His kids are now running the tree lot. It’s all about family with the Muellers, too. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo December 2023)
Today I experience Christmas through my grandchildren, Isabelle, 8, and Isaac, almost six. Next Christmas another little one—my second daughter is due to deliver a boy in January—will add to the magic of the season. Kids have a way of infusing anticipation and unbridled joy into Christmas.
Shoppers search for the “perfect” tree, for them, at Ken’s lot. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo December 2024)
When my core family (minus the pregnant daughter and her husband, who live 260 miles away) gather around my Charlie Brownish tree in the living room (not the kitchen) on Christmas Eve, I hope they feel the magic. The magic and joy that come in being together, especially with the son in Minnesota from Boston. Celebrating the birth of Christ. Celebrating family. Understanding that, no matter what tree decorates a home, it is the homecomings, the conversation and laughter that matter most. The love we feel for one another centers our family celebrations.
Our 2023 Christmas tree purchased at Ken’s tree lot and placed in a corner of our living room. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo December 2023)
The tree is simply a decoration, a memory, a focal point. In the living room. Not atop the kitchen table.
Visiting during a recent Pop-Up Christmas Shoppe at Buckham West, Faribault. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo November 2024)
HOLIDAY MARKETS, craft sales, boutiques, bazaars and bake sales, whatever you term them, seem endless this time of year. I’ve hit many. And that’s from someone who doesn’t like to shop.
Vendors filled the Faribault American Legion on Saturday for a Christmas Market. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo December 2024)
I should note here that I buy very few Christmas gifts—just a couple for the two grandkids and for my son. And this year for the soon-to-be-born second grandson. That’s it. Those gifts, at least for the little people, come from a big box retailer because the kids have their lists (which Grandma appreciates).
Shoppers come and go from the Craft Spirits Holiday Market at 10,000 Drops Distillery, Faribault, last Saturday. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo December 2024)
Caroline Jones of Graceful Mandalas marketed these mugs and other of her creations at the 10,000 Drops holiday market. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo December 2024)
Sellers were scattered throughout the complex of buildings housing the distillery and Corks & Pints. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo December 2024)
Back to the one or two-day holiday markets usually held on weekends. These are not just about selling merchandise, although certainly that’s the goal. Rather such pop-up shops, whether held in a church basement, senior center, an old shed, school gym, distillery or elsewhere, are community events. A place for folks to gather, converse, embrace the holiday spirit and maybe buy a gift or two. I bought something for my son at a recent market.
I chatted a bit with Chris Delesha of Delesha’s Woods at the Legion market. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo December 2024)
My friend Kirk Mansfield was at the Legion selling wood and metal creations crafted by him, his wife, Paula, and a friend. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo December 2024)
Angels, bowls and more created by Turnings by PDan and sold at the Legion’s Christmas Market. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo December 2024)
I enjoy connecting with people, talking to friends and strangers at these sales. Everyone has a story. Something they may want to share, whether about their product or family updates or holiday plans.
Vendors chat at the holiday market at 10,000 Drops. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo December 2024)
I practice active listening. Not just hearing. There’s a difference. And when I do that, I find people opening up to me. I value these one-on-one conversations allowing me to show interest, empathy and care. Sometimes all people need is for someone to listen, really listen.
Sellers get creative in displaying their wares. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo December 2024)
These pop-up sales are also a place to learn. Vendors—from artists to crafters to bakers and more—are a talented bunch. Even if I don’t buy anything, I often chat with the sellers about their goods. I’m genuinely interested in learning and connecting with creatives, in listening to their backstories.
Linda’sWoolies, felted wool, fleece-lined mittens for sale at the Legion Christmas Market. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo December 2024)
Multi generations engage at the Legion’s holiday sale. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo December 2024)
Vicky Scheiber, Nicole Boehme and Heather Berg create custom papercrafts, greeting cards, jewelry and woodcrafts under the name Scheiber Designs, here sold at the Legion’s Christmas Market. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo December 2024)
Creatives never get, dollar-wise, what they should for the time invested. They create because they love what they do. They hold a passion for knitting, for baking, for woodworking, for sewing, for photography, for writing, for whatever and then try to turn that into something which brings in a bit of money and brings joy to others.
A scene outside the Christmas Market at the American Legion last Saturday. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo December 2024)
In these final weeks before Christmas, I hope you’ve taken time to attend a holiday market in your area. They offer a great shop local option and an opportunity to experience community at its most grassroots basic.
Viewing Christmas trees in Central Park on a recent weekday afternoon. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo December 2024)
FIVE YEARS IN TO FARIBAULT’S Adopt-a-Tree Holiday Tree Program, the initiative to give Christmas trees to those in need continues to grow. This year 75 decorated artificial trees were donated and placed in Central Park. That’s up from some 20 trees when the program launched in 2020. Each December since, those numbers have increased.
A snowflake tree topper shimmers against a backdrop of trunk and branches on a tree in the park. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo December 2024)
This all started during the COVD-19 pandemic after restrictions on large gatherings resulted in cancellation of Hometown Holidays events. The trees in the park not only brought light and joy during an especially dark time, but also helped folks in my community who were struggling financially.
Here trees line the sidewalk along Second Avenue. More trees edge sidewalks leading into the heart of Central Park. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo December 2024)
Initiated by the Faribault Parks and Recreation Department, which paired with nonprofit St. Vincent de Paul, the Adopt-a-Tree program gives Christmas trees to those who would otherwise not have one. If you’ve priced Christmas trees, you know they are costly.
I knew Gloria, who recently passed and who absolutely exuded love and joy. I love that someone (likely family) donated a tree in her honor. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo December 2024)
Ours is a rural area, as evidenced by this farm sponsorship. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo December 2024)
Another personal sponsorship, which speaks to love and determination. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo December 2024)
The community quickly embraced the idea with service clubs, businesses, churches, individuals, nonprofits, schools and more buying and decorating trees to display in Central Park and then give away. These groups and individuals benefit, too, by raising awareness about their causes/organizations/businesses or simply by offering sponsors an opportunity to give back.
Trees in many sizes and colors were donated. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo December 2024)
Adopt-a-Tree has truly built community spirit. To view these festive trees is to see generosity, compassion and care. To view these trees is to understand that Faribault folks genuinely want to help others. When we connect on that level, we are a stronger, better community.
The historic Cathedral of Our Merciful Saviour backdrops trees along Second Avenue Northwest. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo December 2024)
I’ve seen the trees aglow at night from afar, a beautiful sight in Central Park along busy Second Avenue Northwest. I’ve seen the trees during daylight, too, when I walked through the park and looked more closely at the decorations and the tree sponsor information printed on signs.
The Grinch tops a Grinch-themed tree. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo December 2024)
An unexpected find, a sweet reindeer in pink. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo December 2024)
On the candy cane-themed tree, vivid red. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo December 2024)
Bulbs, other ornaments, garland, ribbon, lights…adorn trees, some with toppers, some without. Some trees are themed—the Grinch, candy canes, gingerbread men, reindeer…
Spotted on the tree donated by the Faribault, Minnesota, Chapter of HOG (Harley Owners Group). (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo December 2024)
A tub of ornaments sits in the park. Many trees blew over and ornaments fell off during strong winds last week. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo December 2024)
Pom poms strung together make a particularly creative and colorful garland. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo December 2024)
No matter the decorations or the tree size or color (from flocked to white to black to assorted greens), the visual statement is the same. We care.
Trees line the sidewalk leading into the park toward the bandshell in the background. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo December 2024)
At the end of the row of trees pictured above sits this Santa ice sculpture carved by Adam Scholljegerdes and Jason Felix for Winterfest. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo December 2024)
When individuals and families pick up their trees from Central Park this week, I can only imagine the happiness they feel knowing that a Christmas tree will grace their homes. What a gift. This is not just about a tree. This is also about feeling loved and cared for by community. And that will last long after ornaments have been removed, the tree dismantled and placed in storage.
It takes a lot of power to light 75 Christmas trees. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo December 2024)
We never know what someone is going through, whether struggling financially or otherwise. So if the simple gift of a decorated Christmas tree lifts spirits and makes the holidays bright, consider the long-lasting impact. Light breaks through darkness. Joy fills hearts. Hope rises.
Crowds gather along Central Avenue in Faribault before Saturday’s parade. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo December 2024)
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.
A festive street scene 1 1/2 blocks off Central Avenue near The Depot Bar & Grill. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo December 2024)
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.
We sat really close to the fireworks launch site. Here, fireworks glitter as they fall from the sky, surrounding a bare tree. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo December 2024)
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.
Against the backdrop of a festive storefront, families wait for the parade to begin. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo December 2024)
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.
As the massive Faribault Fire Department ladder truck passes, the boy on the right holds his light-up cowboy hat and waves. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo December 2024)
Kids not only watched the parade, but also participated, as shown here. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo December 2024)
All bundled up to watch the parade from the comfort of a stroller. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo December 2024)
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.
The oversized snowman is a parade staple. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo December 2024)
The magic of Whoville came to Faribault. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo December 2024)
The Grinch and Max share the love. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo December 2024)
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.
To the far left in this scene, a bundled up baby sleeps while the Sno-Go Club parade unit passes by. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo December 2024)
A boy standing near me got a free light-up cowboy hat. He wore it sometimes, sometimes not. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo December 2024)
A shopkeeper and his dog at the parade. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo December 2024)
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.
Fire on one float… (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo December 2024)
…and ice on another, from River City Refrigeration. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo December 2024)
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.
The parade unit of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers was all about light. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo December 2024)
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.
I photographed this tag hanging on The Gratitude Tree in the neighboring city of Northfield in 2019. I love this idea of publicly expressing thankfulness, including for community. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo July 2019)
WHEN CONSIDERING GRATITUDE, as we do this week, we usually look inward. But I want to look outward and share six reasons why I feel grateful to live in Faribault.
This is my all-time favorite image showing local diversity. Here children gather to break a pinata during an international festival at Faribault’s Central Park. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo 2012)
PEOPLE make a community. I knew no one when I moved here as a newlywed in 1982. But I was welcomed and have since formed deep friendships in Faribault. I can walk into a business, attend an event, or simply be out and about and run into someone who knows me. Conversation often follows.
Recently I attended a 75th anniversary open house at Burkhartzmeyer Shoes, a third-generation family owned shoe store in downtown Faribault. After purchasing athletic shoes, I headed to a back room for complimentary refreshments. A small group of us sat there talking and laughing, simply enjoying each other’s company. I felt like I was inside a small town cafe drinking coffee and conversing. It felt that down-home comfortable.
But I can feel just as comfortable with strangers, including Adolfo, whom I met in October while walking in Central Park. Adolfo moved to America from Venezuela, a country he fled because of Communism and violence. On this morning, he was pushing his one-year-old grandson in a stroller. It’s part of their daily routine. Darling Milan drew me to his grandpa, where I connected with Adolfo on a personal level and heard his story. I feel grateful for every opportunity I have to meet Faribault’s newest immigrants and hear their stories, stories often laced with hardship and hope. To live in a city as diverse as Faribault is truly a gift.
Kids help at the Faribault CommUnity Thanksgiving Dinner by, among other things, creating festive placemats.(Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo November 2017)
Faribault overflows with CARING INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS striving to help others: the Community Action Center, Rice County Habitat for Humanity, St. Vincent de Paul, HOPE Center, Ruth’s House, IRIS (Infants Remembered in Silence), the Salvation Army, Operation: 23 to 0… I’ve received support while dealing with some especially challenging life events. When you experience that community love and care first-hand, you understand the true meaning of community.
Once again this Thanksgiving, volunteers will serve a free CommUnity Thanksgiving Dinner as they have for the past 30 some years. I’ve previously helped deliver those holiday meals. Every Tuesday, a free meal is also available at the Community Cafe. With Christmas approaching, I’m part of a bible study group coordinating the annual Angel Tree (gift giving) at my church. I could go on and on with an endless list of how people are helping people in my community. Hearts are loving, spirits giving.
A 1950s scene along Faribault’s Central Avenue is shown in this downtown mural.(Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
I am especially grateful to live in a community which values THE ARTS. The Paradise Center for the Arts in downtown Faribault centers our arts scene. Every time I tour a gallery exhibit, attend a play or otherwise engage in the arts, I feel grateful to live here. I’ve even contributed to the local arts scene by publicly reading my poetry. I love attending summer concerts in the park and concerts inside the historic Cathedral of Our Merciful Saviour. I appreciate the history-based murals that color our downtown. I grew up in rural southwestern Minnesota with minimal access to the arts, meaning my gratitude for the arts in Faribault runs deep.
I treasure Buckham Memorial Library, just blocks from my home. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo 2022)
My thankfulness for BUCKHAM MEMORIAL LIBRARYalso runs deep, for the very same reason. I grew up in a small farming town without a library. And I love to read. That we now also have a volunteer run used bookstore, Books on Central (benefitting the Rice County Area United Way), notches my gratitude level even higher.
A snippet of Faribault’s historic buildings, photographed during a monthly Car Cruise Night.(Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo 2016)
The bookshop is located in the heart of our HISTORIC DOWNTOWN, another reason I feel grateful to live in Faribault. My community cares about preserving historic buildings. I love old architecture. There’s nothing quite like walking among vintage vehicles along Central Avenue during Car Cruise Night as the sun sets at the end of a summer day. Beautiful.
In just minutes, I can reach the countryside, where I love to travel gravel roads. This road winds among the lakes and farm fields west of Faribault. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo October 2022)
Faribault also offers incredible NATURAL BEAUTY in a diverse landscape of woods and prairie, hills and valleys, ravines and bluffs. It’s so different than my native prairie. Admittedly, it took me a while to “get used to” all the trees when I moved here 42 years ago. I still mostly have no sense of direction on roads and streets that don’t run prairie grid straight. But I love to walk through city parks, along city trails, at River Bend Nature Center, on the campus of the Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf… And within a short drive of my home, I am immersed in the countryside.
A view of The Gratitude Tree outside the Northfield Public Library in 2021. People wrote their reasons for feeling thankful on a blank tag. Those were then hung on the tree. I’d like to see a Gratitude Tree in every community once a year. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo May 2021)
This list of a half dozen reasons to feel thankful for the place I call home just touches the surface of why I am grateful to live in Faribault. It’s not utopia, certainly. Nowhere is. But today I want to pause, consider and acknowledge specific reasons for feeling thankful that Faribault is my home. I hope you’ll do the same, wherever you live.
Art, as I see it. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
TIRES AND ART. Typically the two would not intertwine. But that thought changed when I spotted a stash of used tires on the side of Vintage Auto & Glass about a month ago. I noticed how the bottom three layers wove together, almost like a braid. But then the top layers were strewn haphazardly, as if the creator got bored and infused abstract into the pattern.
In all reality, this was not art at all to whoever placed the tires alongside the Faribault garage. This was simply a pattern that would keep the tires in place. At least that’s my guess.
This photo gives perspective on size and placement of the garage art. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
If any mechanics are reading this, I hope you appreciate that I appreciate the creative tire stacking. And even more, I appreciate your mechanical skills. As the wife of a long-time, semi-retired automotive machinist, I understand how hard you work to keep vehicles running. I understand the knowledge, skills and experience you bring to your work. I understand the patience needed in dealing with customers. I understand the time pressures. I understand the frustrations. I see the grease under your fingernails, the oil and dirt creasing your palms. You work hard to serve others.
And on this day, I see another side, that of a creative.
Minnesota Prairie Roots 
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