BRAINERD — With the ringing of the first bell at 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 2, Brainerd Mayor Dave Badeaux welcomed the Christmas spirit into downtown Brainerd.
Around 30 people braved the chilly and snowy evening to join in the newly formed tradition of lighting the Brainerd Christmas tree.
In years past, the lights on the tree outside city hall were turned on without a second thought ever given, said Jennifer Bergman, the Brainerd city administrator.
“We were joking, in prior years it's been our parks maintenance foreman who's just gone there and flipped a switch and the lights were on,” Bergman said. “The (Destination Downtown Business Coalition) has really taken this and made it into an event. They are the ones coordinating getting the carolers out there. So it's really kind of fun what they're doing.”
Out with her kids before heading to a basketball game, Michelle Gonska said she wanted to see the tree lighting, as it kicks off Christmas.
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Rylie Weber, with Destination Downtown Business Coalition, said this is the second year the tree lighting has taken place in conjunction with Brainerd's fourth year of its Downtown Window Walk and she said she was looking forward to welcoming everyone who came out to celebrate.
Looking forward to building those traditions were Meg Rutherford and Nick Melberg who wanted to celebrate the season.
“It's our first time,” Rutherford said. “We just moved up here a couple of years ago so we thought this would be cool.”
Also out for the tree lighting, though more interested in playing in the snow with the other kids and not at what dad was doing, was 4-year-old Rowan Badeaux.
As the wind blew the snow in sideways, Dave Badeaux said he was thankful to have learned from last year and brought his speech on his phone.
During the
first lighting ceremony in 2021
, the mayor had his speech almost ripped out of his hands by the wind. And the trouble did not stop there, as the switch was not operating properly, causing a short delay.
With the proclamation given this year, little time was wasted as the mayor pressed the button. The lights sprang on, to the cheers of the crowd as the choir began to sing Christmas carols.
“With our downtown and with all the shops that are down there, it's just a great way to give people an opportunity to come down, window shop and kind of get that experience of that kind of hometown, downtown Christmas,” Dave Badeaux said. “... Hopefully, this is something that becomes a tradition for people.”
TIM SPEIER, staff writer, can be reached on Twitter @timmy2thyme , call 218-855-5859 or email tim.speier@brainerddispatch.com .
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