| Winter Walk puts old-fashioned charm back in Christmas |
By: DAVID HENKE, Staff Writer
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Posted: Tuesday, December 1, 2009 11:55 pm
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Shoppers mingle outside The Rare Pair during a previous year’s Winter Walk. This Thursday, carolers, Santa Claus and plenty of shoppers will return to downtown Northfield for the annual event, which starts at 5 p.m.
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The National Weather Service is calling for a slight chance of snow and temperatures around 25 degrees on Thursday— a cocktail of weather conditions that would put a quick end to most other public outdoor events.
But it’s just what the doctor ordered for Northfield’s 11th annual Winter Walk, the charming, slow-paced highlight of Northfield’s winter shopping season.
Sponsored by the Northfield Chamber of Commerce, the event is scheduled from 5 to 9 p.m. Thursday, and will feature plenty of Christmas-oriented activities, like horse-drawn wagon rides, music and dance performances and even a chocolate tasting.
All of which is designed to invoke the spirit of Christmases past, said Chamber Executive Director Kathy Feldbrugge.
“It’s reminiscent of an old-fashioned Christmas,” Feldbrugge said. “We’re trying to create an appreciation for one’s community and get people excited for the holidays.”
But the event is also a boost for local business owners, like Linda Wrolstad, the owner of Rocky Top Custom Screen Printing and Embroidery.
“We would miss it if we didn’t have it,” said Wrolstad, who is hosting a holiday-themed T-shirt-crafting event during Winter Walk. The celebration, Wrolstad says, brings lots of new faces to her store and leads to as much as a 30 percent sales boost during the week.
Joyce Hoogenakker, the owner of Women and Kids on Division and a long-time volunteer organizer of the event, says her store also experiences a 20 percent boost in daily sales during Winter Walk.
It’s not just the sales, however, that Hoogenakker appreciates.
“It’s just a different atmosphere; it’s not ‘hustle and bustle,’ it’s relaxing,” Hoogenakker said. “It just brings out families young and old to appreciate Northfield in a different way.”
— David Henke covers city, business and youth issues. He can be reached at dhenke@northfieldnews.com or 645-1100.
FULL SCHEDULE
5 p.m. — CAROLING BY NORTHFIELD MIDDLE SCHOOL CHOIRS in Bridge Square and in the downtown area
5 p.m. — DANCE PERFORMANCE BY NORTHFIELD DANCE ACADEMY on Division Street
5 p.m. — SANTA’S HELPERS in the downtown area throughout the evening
5 p.m. — KRUMKAKE DEMONSTRATION at Paper Petalum, 212 Division St.
5 p.m. — NORTHFIELD CO-HOUSING COMMUNITY SERVES LEFSE at the former Sweet Lou’s Restaurant.
5 p.m. — TREATS AND FREE ONE WEEK PASS TO CURVES at the Curves table on Bridge Square
5 to 5:30 p.m. — DRIVE THRU HOT CIDER AND DONUTS WITH LIVE SNOWMEN at Millstream Commons, 210 West Eighth St.
5 to 7 p.m. — STROLLING FROSTY THE SNOWMAN, RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSE REINDEER AND OTHER HOLIDAY CHARACTERS
5 to 7:30 p.m. — HOT DOGS, FRIES & COCOA FOR SALE at VFW, 516 Division St. Proceeds will be used to purchase phone cards for military personnel stationed overseas. Donations also accepted. Thank you from the VFW.
5 to 8 p.m. — ANIMAL ADOPTION with the Rice County Humane Society at the KYMN Studio Building, 200 Division St.
5 to 8 p.m. — CHRISTMAS CAFÉ AND FREE HOT BEVERAGE at Moravian Church, 713 Division St.
5 to 8 p.m. — PICTURES AND COOKIES WITH SANTA at Community Resource Bank, 25 Bridge Square
5 to 8:30 p.m. — KIDS COLOR A T-SHIRT FOR CHRISTMAS at Rocky Top Screen Printing & Embroidery, 427 Division St.
5 to 8:30 p.m. — THE MAGIC OF MODEL TRAINS, model railroad train display at Northfield Public Library, 210 Washington St.
5 to 9 p.m. — FINE CRAFT COLLECTIVE presenting an assortment of handmade local art just north of KYMN Radio, 200 Division St
5 to 9 p.m. — CHRISTMAS PUPPET SHOWS 6 p.m., 7 p.m. and 8 p.m., HOSPITALITY AND BOX FOR PRAYER REQUESTS at Northfield Prayer Room, 315 Division St.
5 to 9 p.m. — VARIOUS ENSEMBLES FROM THE NORTHFIELD HIGH SCHOOL BAND at Quality Bakery and Coffee Shop, 410 Division St.
5 to 9 p.m. — TRUMPET CAROLS BY STEVE BONDE strolling through the downtown area. Sponsored by The Rare Pair
5:30 p.m. — CAROLING BY BETHEL LUTHERAN CHURCH ADULT CHOIR in the downtown area
5:30 p.m. — DANCE PERFORMANCE BY DANCE-N-FITNESS STUDENTS outside Dance-n-Fitness Studio, 311 Division St.
5:30 to 6:15 p.m. — CAROLING BY I CANTANTI in downtown area
5:30 to 8 p.m. — PICTURES WITH SANTA at First National Bank, 329 Division St.
6 p.m. — CAROLING BY LAURA BAKER SERVICES in the downtown area
6 to 6:30 p.m. — CAROLING AND DANCE PERFORMANCE BY JUST FOR KIX in downtown area and near Bridge Square
6 to 7:30 p.m. — INTERACTIVE LIVE NATIVITY (performances at 6:00, 6:30, 7:00 and 7:30 p.m.) at Moravian Church, 713 Division St.
6 to 9 p.m. — PICTURES WITH THE JAMES-YOUNGER GANG sponsored by the Defeat of Jesse James Days Committee at Northfield Historical Society Museum, 408 Division St.
6 to 9 p.m. — PREMIERING THE 1ST EDITION OF THE NORTHFIELD HISTORY SERIES PIONEER WOMEN. AUTHOR JEFF SAUVE WILL SIGN COPIES OF THE BOOKLET at Northfield Historical Society, 408 Division St.
6 to 9 p.m. — CHOCOLATE TASTING WITH B.T. MCELRATH at Present Perfect, 419 Division St.
6 to 9 p.m. — NAGCRACKER DANCE PERFORMANCE, 50TH ANNIVERSARY VISUAL ARTS EXHIBIT, FESTIVAL OF WREATHS at Northfield Arts Guild, 304 Division St.
6:30 p.m. — STORYTELLING at Women & Kids on Division, 314 Division St.
6:30 p.m. — DANCE PERFORMANCE BY DANCE-N-FITNESS STUDENTS, outside Dance-n-Fitness Studio, 311 Division St.
6:30 to 7 p.m. — DANCING BY THE HILINERS near Bridge Square
7 to 7:30 p.m. — CAROLING BY THE MADRIGAL SINGERS in the downtown area
7 to 8 p.m. — BOOK SIGNING BY PATRICK MADER at Monkey See, Monkey Read
7 to 8 p.m. — NORTHFIELD TROMBONES PERFORMANCE in the downtown area
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