By Per Peterson
If you’re not yet in the holiday mood, you will be by the end of the day Saturday.
The city of Tracy officially kicks off the holiday season this weekend with its day-long Holiday Kick-off put on by the Tracy Area Chamber of Commerce.
“The Chamber is super excited for our Holiday Kick-off,” said new Chamber Director Lexi Erickson.
The day begins at 9 a.m. with the Holiday Bazaar at The Caboose. Free holiday bags will be given out to the first 75 in attendance, and wine tasting will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Lunch will be served from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Santa Claus will visit Greenwood Nursery in Tracy ready to get his photo taken with children from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. by Devereaux Photography. That event is co-sponsored by the Chamber, Minnwest Bank and Sanford Tracy. There is no charge to get a photo taken.
The Tracy Lion’s Club will have its Soup Supper at the Multi Purpose Center from 5 to 7 p.m., and the day will wrap up with the sixth annual Parade of Lights in downtown Tracy.
“We encourage families, friends, organizations, clubs, churches, businesses, pretty much anyone and everyone to participate in the parade,” said Erickson. “If you’re feeling stuck on how to participate, look online; there are plenty of examples online to help you out.”
Parade lineup will be at 5:30 p.m. at The Caboose parking lot, and the parade will start at 6 p.m.
“If you’d like to be a spectator for the parade, downtown (3rd Street) will be a fantastic location to watch,” Erickson said. “The Amiret Busy Bees will be collecting canned food donations for the Tracy Area Food Shelf that evening and will also have a lighted cart out at Food Pride for those unable to make it to the parade. The Chamber will also be handing out glow sticks that evening.”
There will also be drawings for Chamber Bucks associated with the event, with the winners being announced on the radio on Dec. 21.
Erickson said planning for the event has been going well. As the new director, she’s relied on the assistance of former director Kim Roggatz for helping her “make this position my own. I have attended these events in the past, and it’s fun to be on this side of them. I’m always open to new ideas from the community members for new events or different twists on events, so please feel free to give me a call, stop into my office hours, shoot me an email or a message on Facebook.”
The Chamber’s phone number is 507-629-4021, and office hours are 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The email is tracyareachamber.mn@gmail.com)
The Holiday Kickoff will “be a good day to get out of the house, get your holiday shopping started — or completed — see Santa, and enjoy an awesome Parade of Lights. It’s going to be a great day to be in Tracy,” Erickson said.