by Cori Hilsgen
news@thenewsleaders.com
Downtown St. Joseph will sparkle with holiday brightness for residents young and old for the 10th annual Winterwalk holiday festivities on Friday, Dec. 6.
About 500 outdoor luminaries will help light the way on more than five blocks for passers-by to join in these festivities and be a part of the 6 p.m. lighting of a 50-foot tree, by a special guest.
Area Boy Scouts will be selling wreaths and are working with event planners to help set up and take down the newly purchased commercial-grade luminaries.
Indoor activities in the warmth of the Heritage Hall Parish Center include a chance for visitors to purchase a light meal beginning at 4 p.m. and an arts and crafts sale from 4-8 p.m.
Musical entertainment will be provided from 4-8 p.m. Scheduled entertainers include the St. John’s Prep Jazz Band, Walters Wheelhouse and St. Joseph’s own Killer Choir.
Craft-making activities for children will take place from 5-7:30 p.m. and participants will be able to take home their crafts.
Santa will visit from 5:30-7:30 p.m. to hear children’s Christmas wishes, take photos and hand out treat bags.
St. Joseph Y2K Lions member Ray Sjogren, who is the chairman of the Winterwalk committee, was part of the St. Joseph Action Group that founded Winterwalk 10 years ago to promote St. Joseph as a great livable community, a destination place and to build community. A guiding mission he said continues under the Y2K Lions stewardship. Sjogren joined the Y2K Lions after they agreed to take over the sponsorship from the St. Joseph Action Group.
“I had a vision to up the size and scope of Winterwalk and along with (the) old St. Jo(seph) Action Group and the new Y2K Lions sponsor has come to fruition,” Sjogren said.
He said crowd estimates last year were 2,000 people. They had 350 social media contacts last year and more than 10,000 this year.
“Last year every business, organization and civic group said ‘yes’ to our solicitations with more than 40 sponsors contributing cash or in-kind contributions,” Sjogren said. “Adding music was a huge hit and very popular.”
He added all downtown businesses reported an increase in business with several having their first, second and third best business days of the year.
Sjogren has lived in St. Joseph for five years, returning to Central Minnesota where he grew up after living in Seattle for 30 years.
Local businesses are joining in the fun of the festivities with decorating, offering food, beverage specials and a punch-card drawing for prizes.
The tree will again be on the southwest corner of Minnesota Street and College Avenue on the Church of St. Joseph Catholic Church parish grounds.
For safety, planners hope to have Minnesota Street closed and several vendors are planning to set up displays.
The event is planned and sponsored by the St. Joseph Y2K Lions in partnership with the Church of St. Joseph and area businesses. The tree is being donated from an ongoing partnership with the St. John’s Abbey and St. John’s Arboretum.
Many volunteers and businesses working together annually have helped make this event possible. If interested in volunteering or donating for the event, contact St. Joseph Y2K member Becky Staneart at 320-420-3373.
Members of the St. Joseph Fire Department help put a string of lights on last year’s tree, which was lit at the Winterwalk event.
Event organizers (left to right) Margy Hughes and Ray Sjogren visit with Mrs. Claus (Lisa Wallin) at last year’s Winterwalk event.
Winterwalk visitors (left to right) Tom Mastey, Maryjo Vetsch, Santa, Ray Sjogren, Megan Ertl and Tyler Thomas at last year’s event.
The finished tree awaits visitors at last year’s Winterwalk event. This year’s Winterwalk event will take place on Friday, Dec. 6.
Luminaries help light the way for visitors at last year’s Winterwalk event. Event organizers plan to have about 500 luminaries set up for this year’s Winterwalk event on Friday, Dec. 6.
