During the Christmas season, Lowell has a tradition unlike many others, bringing the entire community together to celebrate the holidays. On Saturday, December 6th, the town hosted Winterfest, with activities running all day from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Winterfest included events such as Breakfast with Santa, a Candy Cane Hunt, and best of all, the Parade of Lights, followed by a visit from Santa during the tree lighting ceremony. Before the Parade of Lights began, families could walk around town and enjoy photo ops, horse drawn carriage rides, cookie decorating, a s’mores station, face painting, and much more.
The Parade of Lights is something the entire town and many from surrounding areas look forward to each year. Traveling down Route 2, the parade is as popular as Lowell’s well known Labor Day Parade, featuring floats from businesses and groups across the NWI region. With people lined up along the road, everyone eagerly awaits the moment when Santa appears, riding in the back of a first responder’s truck and spreading holiday cheer with a wave.
It may have been cold during the parade, but with Old Dog Coffee House located on Route 2, you could grab a warm drink, maybe even a Christmas themed one. Just down the road, the Toasted S’mores Company offered a cozy treat to enjoy while watching the floats pass by. These were only a few of the local businesses helping the community celebrate the season.
At the end of the night, once the parade had come to an end, the community gathered at the American Legion near the large Christmas tree to take part in an annual tradition: lighting the tree and visiting with Santa. Guests then joined together in singing Christmas songs and celebrating what we all cherish, which is the spreading of joy and holiday cheer during the Christmas season.
