Historic Heritage Village/City Park are Christmas season light-viewing destinations
Historic Heritage Village in Mountain Lake, along with Mountain Lake City Park, are on their to becoming a pair of light-viewing destinations.
Together, the Mountain Lake Area Chamber of Commerce, the Chamber’s Retail Committee, the Heritage Village Board of Directors and “Christmas In The Park” are making 2017 a festive and “enlightening” holiday season with light displays at both locations, turning on the holiday spirit.
Area businesses and individuals sponsor the lights and decorations on the front of the buildings along Heritage Village’s Main Street, as well as in Mountain Lake City Park – including that location’s unique Snowflake Garden featuring 34 unique and special snowflakes.
The lights at both Heritage Village and Mountain Lake City Park will remain lit throughout the holiday season. The Heritage Village iconic setting provides a warm “Welcome” to Mountain Lake from Minnesota State Highway 60 – and when traveling to the center of town – Mountain Lake City Park’s light show continues to express colorful seasonal cheer.
Festivities late this afternoon (Friday, November 24) kicked off at Heritage Village. An evening of holiday fun followed, including visiting with Santa Claus, carolers, kids’ Christmas crafts, a free Christmas-themed book courtesy of Mountain Lake Early Childhood Initiative (ECI), hot cocoa and apple cider, horse-drawn wagon rides – and, of course – all the historical buildings lit up and decorated with themes from the season.
In addition, a hot pulled pork sandwich meal was available, courtesy of Martin’s Slow-Smoked BBQ (Martin Quintero), along with home-baked Christmas goodies ready to be taken home and shared with family and friends and two-size packages of kettle corn, freshly made by Steve Borer (and grandson) of All-American Concessions.
Businesses and individuals decorating buildings at the Village include:
+ Welcome Center – The Matchless Gift.
+ Outside Fence by the Welcome Center – Mark and Sharron Hanson.
+ Gazebo – City of Mountain Lake by Mike Nelson.
+ Chapel – Care & Share/Ten Thousand Villages.
+ Mennonite Homestead and Attached Barn – Bargen Inc./Allen and Grace Telles.
+ Small Corn Crib/Outhouse/Summer Kitchen – Jim and Barb Crawford.
+ Buhler House/Gift Shop – Mike Nelson.
+ Red Buhler Barn – Fulda Area Credit Union/Fulda Area Credit Union (FACU) Insurance Agency LLC/ML Insurance Services
+ Bathrooms and Fence – American Family Insurance.
+ Jaeger General Store and Upstairs Apartment – Lorin and Becky Epp.
+ Barber/Beauty Shop – Paradise Cove Hair Salon.
+ School House – Mountain Lake Christian.
+ Blacksmith Shop – JSK Bridal.
+ Residence/Granary – Twisted Timber/Curt Fast Construction.
+ Food Stand – Progressive Chiropractic.
+ Pole Barn Machine Shed – Heritage Village.
+ Mountain’s Lake First Depot – Mike Nelson.
+ Prairie Interpretive Center – Good Samaritan Society of Mountain Lake.
+ Hospital – Peterson Drug and Gifts.
+ Mountain Lake/Odin State Bank – United Prairie Bank/United Prairie Insurance.
+ Dick’s Shoe Hospital – Country Pride Cooperative.
+ Delft Post Office – Maynard’s Food Center.
+ Minnesota Telephone Museum – Adrian Seed Company.
+ Caboose – Martin’s Slow-Smoked BBQ.
+ Depot – YFC-The Studio.
+ Entrance Fence – Dana Kass.
+ Additional Sponsors –
- Balzer Inc.
- Hometown Sanitation.
- KBQ Inc.
- Mountain Lake Area Foundation.
- Mountain Lake Fire & Rescue.
- Mountain Lake Senior Citizens Club.
- Odell Wind Farm.
Later in the evening, the scene shifted to the lighting tradition at Mountain Lake City Park with the “Christmas in the Park” lighting ceremony, combined with the Snowflake Garden honors and recognition.
Snowflakes lit up in loving memory include:
+ Gabriel “Gabe” Crow – Grandpa Dean and Grandma Nene Smestad.
+ Ivan Englin – Diane Englin.
+ George Hiebert Jr. – Hiebert Family (“Cancer sucks!”)
+ Jerry Hayes – Hiebert Family (“Cancer sucks!”)
+ Hannah Stoesz – Addyson, Makiah and Olivia Hall (“For ‘Auntie Han.'”)
+ Benjamin Blom – Your Family. (“At Christmas and always!”)
+ Sharon Dick – James, Lori, Kelsey, Jaylee and Jaxton.
+ Dale Kalkbrenner and Tuttie Rorthstein – Ethan, Briley and Kaylin Nickel. (“Happy heavenly Christmas great-grandpa and great-grandma!”).
+ Alyssa Sue and Sutton – The Family.
+ Randy Kunkel – Shawna Ramos, Chad Kunkel and Curt Kunkel.
+ Edna M. Haffner – Merritt, Lisa Lugo and Family; Brenda, Brian and Family; Martha and Leon Wollschlager; Desiree and Adam and Joe Lugo Jr. (“Our Guardian Angel!”).
+ Louis Haffner – Martha and Leon Wollschlager; Merritt, Lisa Lugo and Family; Desiree and Adam and Brenda, Brian and Family.
+ Art and Norma Wall – Dean and Sherry.
+ Verna Rahn – Rahn Family.
+ Ivan Englin – Diane Englin.
+ Adam Daniel Willaby – Mary Wilaby.
+ Kelsey Hulzebos – Dennis, Reva and Family.
+ Stan Schroeder – Monica; Adam, Sam, Declan and Zaiden; Mitch, Erica, Mikaya and Kennedy and Kyle and Ashley.
+ Marjorie Potter/Toelcke – Jason, Julie and Matthew (“To my mom in heaven!”).
+ Pam Kliewer – Dean and Deb Janzen.
+ Connie Ysker – John Ysker and Andy Ysker.
+ Ross Blomgren – Mark and Sharron Hanson.
+ Darlene Janzen – Doyle and Paula.
+ Zac Adrian– Mom and Em. (“Love always!”)
+ Marvan Gohr – Matt, Kay, Danika and Eli Gohr.
+ Grandma Witt – Jenn (Witt) Erickson. (“Never forgotten!”)
+ Aunt Mary – Jenn (Witt) Erickson. (“My Guardian Angel!”)
+ Edwin and Martha Brandt – Gary, Amanda, Reggie, Brett and Charlie Blom.
+ Funcle Stan and Funcle Zac – Emily and Claire. (“Our favorite uncles! Our Guardian Angels at Christmas – and always!”)
+ Daryl Mohlenbrock – Michelle Mohlenbrock.
+ Ray and Pat Shouse and Robert Harris.
Snowflakes in the garden honoring individuals with love:
+ Addyson Janzen – Kim and Delainey.
+ My Parents – Jan Klassen.
+ Addyson Janzen – Grandpa Dean and Grandma Deb Janzen. (“Christmas wishes!”)
Businesses represented with snowflakes include:
+ Mountain Lake Floral of Mountain Lake.
Following is a photo gallery of both of the evening’s Christmas lighting events:
