Beyond all else, Stillwater knows how to capitalize on its quaint charm, which it retains in the face of time, tourists, sprawl and Skynyrd. (Still living that one down.)
So it only makes sense that Stillwater can successfully pull off a fun little Christmas event for kids and families -- and older kids -- that doesn't cost participants a nickle, features Santa arriving aboard a fire truck, includes free treats to warm the masses and ends with fireworks.
We took Elise last weekend to Stillwater's Twinkle Parade, which despite the corny name actually is a pretty good time in a small-town, it-doesn't-take-much-to-put-us-in-a-festive-mood kind of way.
Basically, a few hundred people stand at the end of the levee, sipping cocoa and coffee while kids mill about, and then they walk -- you don't parade in parkas and Sorels -- along the levee to the picturesque gazebo, where Santa arrives to greet the young'uns and light the downtown Christmas tree.
The conditions were perfect: a light snow falling, but not too cold. Elise had a good time, though the up-close encounter with Santa was a bit much for her. She prefers to see the man in the rumpled red suit from a distance. She did, however, enjoy the rumble of the fire truck. She figured out that she could feel the engine rumble by holding the hand bell on the front of the truck. Sometimes it doesn't take much to entertain her.
Don't miss a chance to work on letters.
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