By Elizabeth M. Jones
ejones@postbulletin.com
While many of us are just starting to think about the holidays, Red Wing is making plans for them.
The town will host a variety of festivities, ranging from the traditional Holiday Stroll, held the day after Thanksgiving, to Christmas teas, to the annual Eagle Spot weekends.
"The Holiday Stroll is our traditional day-after-Thanksgiving event," said Kathy Silverthorn, the executive director of the Red Wing Visitors and Convention Bureau. "It’s a really fun event." It features a pancake breakfast, lighting ceremony, holiday shopping, a chili feed, an evening parade and more.
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To help get into the holiday spirit, A Tale of Two Sisters Tearoom and Gift Shoppe will hold a number of holiday-themed teas throughout December.
Silverthorn said this will be the last year for Christmas teas, since the owner of the shop is retiring. "This would be the year to do it," she said.
The Historic Sheldon Theatre will host a variety of holiday-themed performances, including a New Year’s Eve performance.
Also returning is the eighth annual B&B Holiday Open House Tour, which allows guests to tour several area bed-and-breakfasts that have been decorated for the season. The proceeds from the event benefit Habitat for Humanity.
"It’s just a beautiful time," Silverthorn said, "and a great fundraiser for Habitat for Humanity."
The popular Eagle Spot weekends will be held once again beginning in February and running through March. Participants can view hundreds of eagles along the Mississippi River while learning more about the majestic birds from volunteers.
"I have a real love for the eagle watch," Silverthorn said. "We get between 100 and 600 eagles along the river ... and they’ve come back so much. People come and sit in their cars and bring binoculars."
Red Wing has been honored several times for its commitment to history and to historic preservation.
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In February, the town was named one of the 2008 Dozen Distinctive Destinations by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Events
• Red Wing’s Holiday Stroll: held from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Nov. 28, the day after Thanksgiving. Featuring pancake breakfast, lighting ceremony, music, entertainment, holiday shopping, parade, chili feed, fireworks and more. Visit www.redwing
holidaystroll.com for more information.
• Eighth annual B&B Holiday Open House Tour: Held from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 7. Tour six participating B&Bs to see their holiday decorations. Cost for the tour is $12 in advance or $15 the day of the tour. Proceeds benefit the Goodhue County Habitat for Humanity. For more information or tickets, call (651) 388-3315.
• Holiday performances at the Sheldon Theatre: Shows include "The Sheldon Brass Band Holiday Concert," Nov. 29-30; "Miracle on 34th Street," Dec. 10-14; "The Nutcracker," Dec. 20-12; "Sisters Christmas Catechism: The Mystery of the Magi’s Gold," Dec. 23 and "Monroe Crossing’s Bluegrass New Year’s Eve," Dec. 31. Call (651) 385-3667 for more information on performances.
• Tale of Two Sisters Tearoom and Gift Shoppe themed teas: Specialty teas include "Dickens of a Tea" on Dec. 6, "Victorian Tea with Santa" on Dec. 13 and "Nutcracker Tea" on Dec. 20. For more information or reservations, call (866) 328-2300.
• Eagle Spot weekends: Held from Feb. 14 through March 21. Visitors can go to Colvill Park to watch eagles and learn more about the birds from Environmental Learning Center volunteers. For more information, call (651) 385-5934.
