By DEB BENTLY
Staff writer
The Waseca County Free Fair is again sponsoring its “Holiday Lights” celebration on Friday and Saturday evenings from 6 to 9 p.m. The event will take place the next two weekends: Dec. 1 and 2, and Dec. 8 and 9.
LEGACY - Above, Vince Peterson and scenes from the display which was set up on his property near New Richland until 2015.
Anyone attending is invited to bring donations of food items to be distributed to area food shelves, or to give a free-will cash donation which will either be kept by the fair board to support future holiday lights events, or passed on to food shelf organizations in Janesville, New Richland and Waseca as the individual specifies.
Entry into the event is at the far east end of the grounds, near what is the parking lot at fair time. Those who wish can park their cars at the end of the drive-through to walk to booths and gatherings.
Fair board members will be on the grounds serving hot cocoa all six evenings. The Waseca fire department had a “cookies with Santa” event last Saturday, and will possibly other evenings as well.
Various area businesses and organizations will also have booths.
Among the decorations and displays being set up on the fairgrounds are some made by area boy scouts and other volunteers. The fair board has been expanding its number of holiday decorations from the Vince Peterson collection, and expects to have seven of his homemade pieces on display. Vince and Virginia Peterson were New Richland area farmers, whose rural property became a Christmastime drive-by destination as Vince crafted elaborate light-up pieces and set them out for display.
The pieces acquired by the fair board and being displayed for the first time on the fairgrounds this year are one which appears to have a deer jumping through a ring, a set of bells which appear to swing, and a giant group of Christmas trees.
“It’s a really neat thing to do as a family,” says fair board member Jennie Johnson of the drive- or walk-through event. “It’s completely heartwarming to see the kids leaning out car windows, all excited about the things on display.”
Johnson reveals that past Holiday Lights events have collected as many as eight banquet tables full of food donations and as much as $1,000 in cash. “People are truly generous,” she observes. “They often bring whole bags full of food for the sake of supporting the food shelves.
“This is a really good thing on many levels. Families get to enjoy the lights, the food shelves get donations, and everyone is reminded how much fun they can have at the fair.
“It’s a great way to give back to the community.”