Light Up Downtown This Holiday Season!
- Nov 7, 2022
- 1 min read
Updated: Nov 14, 2022
The holiday season is fast approaching and our elves have been busy at work! We have again partnered with Minnesota State College Southeast's Welding, Automotive, and Transportation departments to create a large lighted display that will sit in Peter's Biergarten (53 E. 3rd Street) for all to enjoy November-December.
This year's piece is a sleigh to join the large tree created last year, and we invite the public to join us for the first lighting on November 17th. From 6-7:30pm, we'll have Santa, beverages, and holiday fun for all to enjoy in a pre-holiday season kickoff.
Stop down to see the sleigh throughout the holiday season, too. Santa will be returning for Shop Small Saturday on November 26th, so the kids can ask the jolly old elf for gifts they discovered while shopping local!
As always, we couldn't put on these events without the help of our generous sponsors like Bay State Milling Company, MBM Logistics, Watlow, Altra Federal Credit Union, Bremer Bank of Winona, HBC, Inc, Peter's Biergarten, and Toppers Pizza. You, too, can help us with this event by contributing online or adding to our Light Up Downtown donation bucket at Main Street events.
Thank you to all who help light up downtown and we look forward to seeing you at the sleigh this holiday season!
Seeing the community/college partnership keep growing year to year is honestly the best part—last year’s tree plus this year’s sleigh feels like it’s turning into a tradition. Also, Peter's Biergarten is a great spot for it since people can actually hang out instead of just snapping a pic and leaving. This whole “seasonal refresh” vibe always makes me think about switching things up in small ways too, kind of like when I’m browsing StyleLookLab for outfit ideas before winter hits. Hope Santa on Shop Small Saturday isn’t a super long line.
A big lit display downtown really does change the vibe—people are more likely to walk around and actually enjoy the cold instead of dashing back to the car. The student-built angle is my favorite part; it makes it feel like Winona’s showing off its own creativity. This kind of “make the town feel warm” idea is the same reason I end up tinkering with AI image maker for holiday cards, even if it’s way smaller scale. I might swing by on the 17th if the weather cooperates.
It’s nice when holiday events feel built by the community instead of just dropped in, and the student-built sleigh is exactly that. The Shop Small Saturday tie-in is a good reminder that these things help local businesses more than people realize. Random aside: I’ve seen directories like https://hrefgo.com where folks list community tools and projects, and it’s interesting how much visibility matters for anything local. Anyway, hoping the display stays up in good shape through the snow and wind.
Partnering with the college departments is such a cool touch—feels like the town is showing off local talent, not just buying a prefab decoration. Also appreciate that you listed the sponsors; people forget how much these events depend on steady support. I’m trying to figure out timing for that 6–7:30 window, and honestly my brain goes into “how long will everything take” mode like when I use CaesarCipher to estimate time savings on stuff. Either way, I’m hoping it’s the kind of night where you can actually stroll and not feel rushed.
Love seeing stuff like this because it gives people a reason to actually linger downtown instead of just running errands. The Santa return on Shop Small Saturday is smart too—kids get the magic and parents get nudged into local shops. Funny enough, planning little traditions like this feels like trying to beat a high score in BlockBlast — you keep coming back each year to top it. Curious how long it takes to set up the sleigh display and keep it weather-proof.