OtterDazzle to include fireworks

By Chad Koenen

Publisher

Henning will become a bit brighter on Saturday as one of the largest lighted parades will roll through town and kick off a festive holiday season. 

The annual Henning Santa Day event will be held in Henning on Saturday and feature events from morning until well after the sun goes down. 

The event will kick off with arts and crafts for kids and adults, a quilt raffle, food and drinks and entertainment at the Trinity Center from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., while a number of other events will be held at the Landmark Center on Saturday as well.

Horse/wagon rides will roll through Henning from 12-4 p.m. at the Landmark Center, while Santa will be collecting Christmas wish lists and letting kids know if they were naughty or nice this past year at the Landmark Center from 2-4 p.m. 

A variety of food items will be served by the Henning Lions Club at the Landmark Center from 2-5 p.m., while area residents can warm up with some hot chocolate and cookies that will be served by Henning church youth from 4 p.m. until gone. 

All of Saturday’s events will lead up to the big lighted parade that will roll through town beginning at 5 p.m. The parade will begin at St. Edward’s Catholic Church and end at the Landmark Center for the lighting of the community tree and Christmas caroling. 

The parade line up will take place at 4:30 p.m. at St. Edward’s Catholic Church. The parade is open to everyone and there is no preregistration necessary to participate in the parade. Participants are asked just to show up at St. Edward’s church and join the line up prior to the start of the parade. A map of the parade route can be found on page 12 of this week’s Citizen’s Advocate.

Following the parade, which will roll through the streets of downtown and a number of residential areas in town, the community tree lighting and caroling will take place at the Landmark Center. The tree lighting is expected to begin at 6 p.m.

Following the tree lighting and caroling, live music and an ornament decorating event will be held at the Farmstand.

OtterDazzle

If Henning has one of the largest lighted parades in the area then Ottertail has one of the largest winter fireworks displays throughout the region. 

The annual OtterDazzle celebration kicks off on Saturday morning with the annual Ottertail Lions pancake breakfast. The breakfast will take place from 8-11 a.m. at the community center.

Also beginning at 8 a.m. will be the annual vendor and craft show inside the community center. The vendor and craft fair will feature a collection of special Christmas presents, handmade items and a variety of one-of-a-kind collectibles to kick off the holiday season. A chili bar and more will also be held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the community center. 

OtterDazzle will continue with hay rack rides through town from 1-3 p.m., while kids crafts and cookie decorating will get underway from 2-4 p.m.

Of course OtterDazzle wouldn’t be complete without a visit from the big guy in red who will be making the rounds on Saturday. Santa will be visiting with local children in Ottertail from 2-4 p.m. 

At 5:30 p.m. OtterDazzle will transition to the community park for the annual Christmas tree lighting, before the fireworks display kicks off at 5:30 p.m. near the water tower.