We've Got The County Covered
We've Got The County Covered
Lots of smiles and waves from the bundled up Sonshine kids.
Santa's Elf Jingle could be spotted in the County Museum's Dinosaur exhibit. Did you find all the elves?
As the clock struck midnight on Thanksgiving Thursday, the Christmas season began in Chinook with the 39th annual Parade of Lights.
As Chinook's residents awoke from their turkey-fueled food comas to the Friday morning light, they were greeted by a frigid chill in the air and big fat globs of slowly falling snow, the likes of which you usually see in snow globes. While this weather may have called for a few additional layers of clothing, what would the parade of lights be without some nice northern Montana winter weather? The parade and the day full of events surrounding it would bring plenty of activity to warm our bodies and hearts.
The Friends of the Pool and Park put on a free-will donation Cheeseburger Soup Fundraiser to raise funds for the Chinook pool and park project. There was a great turnout and over 23 gallons of soup were sold, raising over $2000 for the project. The soup was donated by Jean Kokkeler and the Nemetz family. "We are so grateful for Jean's donation of time and money towards the pool and park fundraising," said the organizers. They would also like to thank "our volunteers that worked the event as well as Brad Taylor for providing music." Shore's Floral and American Garage donated the Centerpieces and Wallner Hall donated the space for the fundraiser.
A handful of vendors were stationed at the senior center selling their goods and the Milk River Churches handed out free cookies, hot chocolate, and crocheted beanies for anyone needing additional warmth.
First Bank of Montana was once again the host of the Festival of Wreaths, where several local businesses decorated wreaths which were sold through a silent auction.
The Blaine County Museum organized a holiday scavenger hunt, which took participants through the museum and our county's rich and unique history. Hunters were tasked with finding elves throughout the building and answering questions about Blaine County history based on where the elf was located. Those who completed the challenge received a goodie bag and a chance to win additional prizes in a raffle. Over 30 kids participated in the hunt with Clay Elliot and Tel Schmitt winning the raffle prizes of an Elf on a Shelf and a Christmas puzzle respectively.
Black Friday shopping was also in full swing as multiple downtown businesses offered great sales and warm drinks.
The day was capped with people flowing onto the sidewalks of downtown to get a glimpse of the parade. Led by the Chinook Police and County Sheriff Departments, and trailed by our ambulance and volunteer fire departments, eight well-decorated floats (and one dog) paraded up and down Indiana street, with local businesses and religious groups being well represented.
All told, it was a wonderful day well enjoyed by Chinook's residents young and old. Thank you to the Chinook Chamber of Commerce for once again organizing this wonderful day, to all the vendors and businesses that worked to bring holiday joy to our community, and every person that came downtown to participate and enjoy what the day had to offer. Events like these define a community and can only come to fruition through the collective efforts of us all. May the 39th Chinook Parade of Lights be the start of a kind, peaceful, and joyous holiday season for us all!
