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Decorations and lights have been set up at Hiawatha Pageant Park in Pipestone for the annual Lights at the Lodge. The official lighting will take place on Saturday evening, Nov. 22. Photo by Kyle Kuphal
Over 50,000 lights will be lit up at Hiawatha Pageant Park in Pipestone on Saturday, Nov. 22.
The annual Lights at the Lodge event will include a meal at the Hiawatha Lodge provided by PIPESTONE-Helping Farmers from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. for a free will offering to benefit the Lights at the Lodge, and free hot chocolate and coffee from Scooter’s Coffee with any tips received going toward the Lights at the Lodge. There will also be live music by Sound of the ‘Stone from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. and 125 luminaries lighting a path from the top of the hill on the east side of the park down toward the Hiawatha Lodge. The lighting will take place at 6 p.m.
Mick Myers, a Lights at the Lodge Committee member, said the kickoff event was moved to the weekend before Thanksgiving this year rather than the weekend after, so that people could come see the lights when they’re in town for Thanksgiving. He said there are fewer other events happening the weekend before Thanksgiving, and that the earlier start allows the volunteers who put up all the lights to get it ready a week earlier when it might be a little warmer.
The lights are updated and added to each year. Some new features this year include decorations and lights along the south entrance, used items that people have donated at the top of the hill on the east side of the park, new lights on trees at the top of the hill, more PVC Christmas trees, and potentially, a snowman or Santa made of three large round hay bales, on the north side of the park. Myers said there will also be signs directing people to check out the view from up on top of the hill on the east side.
These hay bales are expected to be among the features of this year’s Lights at the Lodge. The kickoff event will include food, beverages, live music
and the official lighting.
Photo by Kyle Kuphal
“That’s just a tremendous view, seeing all the lights and trees from a different angle,” Myers said.
As usual, the centerpiece of the Lights at the Lodge are the trees that local groups and organizations can decorate. Myers said there are around 44 trees available, and that there were a few left as of Thursday, Nov. 13. Anyone interested should contact the city office at 507-825-3324. There is no cost to decorate the community trees and the committee provides ladders and poles that people can use to decorate. The trees should be decorated prior to Nov. 20 when the Lights at the Lodge Committee will do a test lighting.
The committee includes seven community members, who do most of the work for Lights at the Lodge, along with some help from city employees and other community members and businesses. All the lights and decorations put up by the committee are from donations. Myers said volunteers started setting up lights and decorations in September this year.
These decorations have been placed in a clearing along the road leading to the Hiawatha Lodge in Pipestone in preparation for the annual Lights at the Lodge. Hiawatha Pageant Park will be lit up from Nov. 22 until Jan. 1. Photo by Kyle Kuphal
He said the Lights at the Lodge Committee plans to put a traffic counter at the entrance to the park this year to see how many people come through the park while the lights are in place. The lights will be lit every evening from Nov. 22 to Jan. 1.