Outside Looking In

Light shows abound

With very little going on in terms of Christmas parties, holiday musicals and play, concerts and more, one thing the family will enjoy are various light shows in the state.
Not all of these are close by, but some are within close proximity.
The Prairie Home Hospice "Light up the Night" at Independence Park is spectacular, although organizers had to cancel horse-drawn carriage rides, trolley and hay rides, concessions and more throughout the park due to the coronavirus.
Because of the mild winter so far, many people have been seen walking throughout the park and enjoying all the lights. It's worth the time and, while there is no fee, it's important to donate to Prairie Home Hospice at the beginning of the park.
In Willmar, a well-organized drive-thru light show synchronized to music is worth the 70-mile trip from the Minneota area. The "Celebrate the Light of the World" show has 800,000 lights throughout historic Robbins Island on the north edge of town, including a 36-foot wide U.S. flag and a 50-foot tree. The route is well-signed and takes between 10-15 minutes depending on the amount of traffic. Many motorists go through the route more than once. This light show is also free of charge, but motorists can donate to the Salvation Army at the end of the route if they choose.
In Litchfield, four homes have joined forces to present a beautiful synchronized-to-music light show. Although not large, it's still worth a look if you are in the area. There are 15 different holiday songs playing, including a well-orchestrated "Dueling Banjos" holiday song in which one homeowner has a large colorful lighted guitar and a neighbor across the street has a large lighted banjo that strum as the music plays. This is free of charge and is located at 527 Marshall Ave. on the south side of town.
If you feel like venturing to the Twin Cities, there are two drive-thru choreographed light shows, one at the State Fairgrounds and the other at Valley Fair. Each of these boasts over one million lights and runs until Jan. 3. To attend these, families must pre-register online and give a specific time and date they will arrive.
The State Fairgrounds light show can be found at www.glowholiday.com and the Valley show can be found at www.christmasincolor.net. These are quite costly (the State Fair show is $46 per vehicle and Valley Fair is $30 per vehicle) and the wait time can be long.
YouTube videos are available to check out to help determine if you want to attend these or not.
It's also worth a drive around the Minneota area this holiday season as many homes are decorated. There are also many homes entered in the Mascot's Christmas Lighting Contest and families can find the addresses in this week's Mascot of those registered. Take the family and judge for yourself which is your favorite.
Another thing to do for the kids as you travel around looking at lights is make a "Search For" game in which you write down things for the kids to find at the various homes, such as a Santa Claus, star, penguin, elf, candy cane, etc.

Santa immune
With the COVID-19 pandemic and Gov. Walz's penchant for taking the cautious route, some children might not be so nestled and snug in their beds this Christmas as they wonder if St. Nick will soon be there.
But Santa will still be arriving on Christmas Eve, boys and girls. In fact, it's been a centuries-old secret that Santa's beard has magical powers, much like his reindeer and sleigh, and it prevents him from catching a cold, flu or any other illness when shimmying down chimney's into strange homes throughout the world.
Santa gets tested often for COVID-19, washes his hands frequently, and even cancelled the annual North Pole pre-Christmas party to prevent the spread of the virus at the North Pole.
Santa and Mrs. Claus disinfected both their home and the workshop. The elves all wore masks and maintained social distancing in the workshop this past year, hammering out toys in their usual rapid pace.
Although the reindeer weren't able to enjoy their reindeer games or dine in their favorite North Pole restaurants because of the pandemic, they muddled through the year playing solitaire and eating takeout food.
So, everything will be okay this Christmas, kids. Santa will still place presents under the trees and fill all the stockings, and you can still leave milk and cookies for him to snack on.

Contact Us

The Minneota Mascot
Address: 201 N. Jefferson
Minneota, MN 56264

Phone:(507) 872-6492