The events and activities of Sunday night in Luverne were another great reminder of all the wonderful opportunities at our fingertips in this community.
We’re lucky to have world-class events at a small-town scale all year round, but Sunday night was another reminder of how lucky we are.
The Star Herald photographed the events and visited with people standing in line to see Santa and mingling in the park after fireworks and the lighting of the displays.
A common theme among visitors is that this is the sort of quality family entertainment they’ve experienced in Sioux Falls or Minneapolis, but they appreciated experiencing it without traffic snarls and parking headaches they’re used to in bigger cities.
And they appreciated feeling welcome and being handed hot cocoa and frosted cookies free of charge.
For many young working families feeling the pinch of rising costs of living, it’s a rare opportunity to enjoy a night out with the whole family without dropping a small fortune.
It was great to see the carloads of families at the train depot and the city park taking in the sights and sounds of the holidays that didn’t involve a cover charge or entrance fee.
One encounter at the depot — the armory, actually, where Santa was moved indoors — involved a little girl in a pink parka and sparkly snow boots. She was walking around with a five-dollar bill, asking where she could donate to support the cause.
She and her family were so happy to have experienced Santa and Mrs. Claus and the free cookies and cocoa, they wanted to do their part to support the fun.
Of course, donations were not being accepted for the event that was specifically offered for free to the community.
But the five-dollar offer was an astute recognition that there’s value in free community celebrations like Sunday’s “Light the Night” events.
Ellis and Eastern Railroad and First Presbyterian Church partnered with the Chamber to host Santa and Mrs. Claus, and Lineage Logistics sponsored the fireworks at the park.
Meanwhile, dozens of businesses, churches, organizations and individuals put time and talents into decorating the city park.
We’re grateful for these contributions, and we hope next time there’s a chance to support a community celebration, more people step up. That’s what makes this community great.
Thank you, Chamber staff and volunteers, for Sunday’s success, and we look forward to more proud moments this weekend during Luverne’s annual Winterfest events and activities. (See the front-page story.)
