There was no shortage of Christmas festivities in the Goodhue-Bellechester area ahead of the holiday. Christmas lights and decorations were abundant and all local churches held special services and childrens’ programs. Both towns hosted special events and visits with Santa.
Grace Lutheran Church again set up a drive-thru live Nativity. Angels, shepherds, wise men, the holy family and a few animals helped tell the story of Jesus’ birth. Special thanks to Darwyn and Mary Tri for coordinating the event that brought in 292 pounds of food and raised $437.00 for the food shelf.
After the live Nativity, you could stop in Bellechester to view the lighted parade. Both events were held the evening of November 30th. The Bellechester Lion’s Club moved their annual event up one week hoping for better weather than the previous years but drew the short straw again. The chill in the air didn’t keep area folks from attending or participating in the event. Thirteen floats entered the lighted parade contest. The first place winner was Jesse Fox whose John Deere chopper was outlined in lights and carried Santa on the front. He declined the Timberwolves tickets prize and re-donated them to the Goodhue royalty. The second place prize was $60.00 cash that went to the Belvidere Happy-Go-Luckies 4-H Club and $30.00 went to the third place entry of K&K Concessions Darn Good Vittles.
The crowd moved into the warmth of the FabTech building where the children met with Santa, played games and decorated cookies. Toys were collected for a local charity and greetings were drawn on posters to be hung in local care facilities. Nilssen’s Foods in Zumbrota donated hot dogs and Kwik Trip gave $75.00 to help purchase buns and other items for the free lunch. The Lion’s raise funds through a raffle and their Sunday Funday event in July and meat raffles at the Tavern. They help support local organizations such as the Goodhue Trap Team and Mazeppa Historical Society.
The annual Christkindlmarkt was held in Goodhue the following Saturday, December 7th. A holiday home tour ran from 10 AM to noon featuring the Andy and Jolene Mann and Ryan and Bri Schimek homes in Goodhue and the Jerry and Sheila Stehr home in the country. The Stehrs live in the Doc Sawyer house that was moved from Goodhue to the country in 2015 and features the original woodwork. The Goodhue Chamber also sponsored an outdoor decorating contest that ran through December 15th and was judged by a committee unfamiliar with the town’s residents. Great Rivers Mutual Insurance Company won the business division and the residents of 1009 3rd Ave won $100 in Chamber Bucks.
The chamber organizes the outdoor market and added the tree lighting ceremony in The Depot lot this year. Street music and sunshine made for a pleasant day visiting vendor tents and enjoying German food and horse-drawn wagon rides around town. The Third Place offered a comfortable place where kids could write letters to Santa or sit with him and personally request items like a football jersey or a Barbie house.
Kids could enjoy watching The Grinch movie on the side of The Depot and even meet with the Grinch himself as he roamed the lot and tried to steal the decorations around the tree. Luckily, Cindy Lou Who; Goodhue Mayor, Ernie Valenzuela; and some traveling carolers convinced him to embrace Christmas.
