Happy Thanksgiving to all, it's TF Lighting Festival week!

Happy Thanksgiving to all, it's TF Lighting Festival week!

So this is Thanksgiving week I wanted to take a moment to give some thanks, so bear with me. I would formally like to thank you the readers for your support over the decades that my family has been involved in the paper. I would like to thank our wonderful advertisers who recognize a small town newspaper still holds value by reaching and educting the public in areas other media can't.

I would really like to thank my staff here at the Press; Denise our invaluable editor, Jeff our advertising and sports director, Laure our composition director and our newest addition Collette. These folks somehow put a newspaper together 52 times a year with another 52 Search Shoppers each year. I am forever grateful to these people! I am thankful for my supportive wife who is always there with me and always positive no matter what my mood may be. My love for her is immense. And, finally I am thankful for my faith which has and continues to get me through even the toughest times. Thank you all.

This Friday is one of my favorite events of the year. Taylors Falls is hosting its annual tree lighting festival and if you have never been, it is something you have to take in. It is an all weekend event, but the lighting of the village is something else. To make it even more Christmassy (spelling?) the lighting is followed by a parade down mainstreet complete with lighted floats. Dress warm, you will love it. There are all kinds of events leading up to the parade including a craft fair, Christmas at the Folsom House, chili and hotdogs at St. Joseph's Church, booya at Romayne’s, and of course the parade. Saturday there is a medallion hunt with clues being posted on Facebook beginning at 10 am, The day is rounded out with bingo at the TF Community Center.

Sunday brings the Royal Lady's Tea at First Baptist Church (across from the elementary school) at 2pm and the St. Croix Valley Orchestra will play a Christmas concert at the Methodist Church at 3pm.

Plenty of stuff to do, and a great way to kick off the holiday season.

If you have ever heard of, or been, to Uncle Sam's Christmas light festival in Somerset you know how magical it is. Well I am happy to say there is now a Christmas Lights festival much closer to us that packs just as much of a punch for Christmas as Somerset or the one at the state fair. It is called Miracle at Big Rock and it is just north of St. Croix Falls.
The Hansens have owned the wedding venue for a few years now and they have created a winter wonderland where you can drive or walk through a ton of light displays that feature millions of lights. I mean they have everything - hay rides, sledding (snow permitting), sleigh rides, photos with Santa, food trucks, drinks for kids and adults, fireworks and even helicopter rides. It's like a Disneyland in the winter. You can pre-purchase tickets at www.miracleatbigrock.com.

I must also mention that there is a coloring contest in the gift guide. The picture is on page 15 of the guide. This is a contest for all ages but prizes will be awarded to ages 3-5, 6-8 and 9-11. Have your child color Santa and his train and drop the finished drawing off here at the Press or mail it to Chisago County Press, PO Box 748, Lindstrom, MN 55045. Good luck!

As we enter the holiday season, it becomes so easy to get lost in our hectic lives and trying to make the holidays perfect for everyone. The one thing we may forget as a community is there are those among us who are down on their luck financially. These folks did not choose to be in the position they currently are in and many of them have to rely on the local food shelf. The food shelf is stocked by donations that you and I make out of the goodness of our hearts. There are businesses that also help to fill the food shelf such as Brink’s Market. The food shelf needs us. If you can, please, please consider donating a non-perishable food item or more to our local food shelf. You will be helping your neighbors and it makes you feel good. There is a food shelf located at 10586 Liberty Lane in Chisago City and at 6413 Oak St, in North Branch.