A few inches of snow helped to create a winter wonderland for Friday’s ‘Twas The Lights Before Christmas Parade.
With around 20 floats and groups the parade lasted nearly an hour and drew hundreds along the route through downtown to Smokey Bear Park.
Veterans and bagpipers started the march followed by the barking sled dogs of Jamie Nelson that whisked Santa through the parade route. The dogs were so enthusiastic a four-wheeler was used to slow the sleigh to make sure kids had at least a glimpse of the man in the red suit as he rolled by waving.
Santa said later that at the end of the route the dogs were doing about 25 miles an hour when they turned at the band shell in Smokey Bear Park.
Area residents, including churches, sports and outdoors groups and businesses created holiday floats that competed for prizes based on lighting, music, originality and effort.
The three top floats were Viking Bar, Ronning’s, and City Cab/Van Service.
Many people moved on to Smokey Bear Park following the parade for hot chocolate and cookies and to see who would win more than 40 gift drawings. It was also a chance to mingle with Santa and pet the sled dogs.
Serina Sprecco, 10, attended her first holiday parade since moving to Ranier last year from San Diego, Calif., with her parents, Dominic and Roxanne, and little brother Dominic, 8. Christmas is to celebrate the birth of Jesus, she said. Her friend, Kylee Christensen, 10, of the Falls, said the birth of Christ is the center of her holiday as well, and that all the celebration is about that event. They both said that the fun goes along with that and enjoyed the parade very much.
David Ysen, 6, of the Falls, came to the parade with his father, Dave, and said the Bronco float was his favorite.
The parade was preceded by a day of special bargains offered by area merchants, along with outdoor Christmas music and horse drawn sleigh rides downtown. A chili feed at the National Guard Recruitment Center benefited the International Falls Good Samaritan Center.
The annual parade is organized by the International Falls Area Chamber of Commerce.
Betsy Jensen, Chamber president, said she was pleased the city did a little extra decorating this year. The Chamber helped out with a couple of additional trees. The tree and boulevard lighting was turned on for the first time to light the parade route on Friday evening.
State Command Chief Brian Briggs, the highest ranking non commissioned officer in the Minnesota Air National Guard and a resident of International Falls, took charge of the U.S. and Canadian Color Guard with members of VFW Peter Graham Post 2948 and Royal Canadian Legion Branch 29 of Fort Frances, and Ladies Auxiliary from both units. Fort Frances members included Ken Desjardins, Jim Marr, Bob Bagacki and Ladies Auxiliary members Yvonne Chambers, Silvia Gunderson and Florence Ogden. The VFW members included Terry Randolph, Wayne Sampson, LeRoy Kelly, James Nicodemus, Bruce Lewis, Kenny Brokaw, Leroy Belanger, Dale Hendrickson, and Ladies Auxiliary members Linda Chezick and Margarete Kostiuk.
