December 1, 2014 at 3:52 p.m.
Holiday season begins as Santa visits Three Lakes, Tomahawk
Holiday season begins as Santa visits Three Lakes, Tomahawk
Santa's first stop came Friday evening in Three Lakes for the 20th annual Festival of Lights.
The festival, which has become a must-see post-Thanksgiving attraction in Three Lakes, kicks off the holiday season in the tiny hamlet, Three Lakes Chamber director Skip Brunswick said.
"It's long been a tradition in Three Lakes. The whole idea is to get the community together and kick off the holiday season," he said. "The last couple of years, we've tried to keep adding things to it. Our tree (which is lit to mark the start of the festival) now has over 4,000 lights on it. We brought the live reindeer back again because the kids really seem to love that, and we've always got free hot chocolate and coffee and cookies for everyone. The whole idea is to just get everyone together for a good time."
The last couple of years have seen some chilly temperatures the night of the festival, but the cold didn't stop hundreds from coming out to see Santa ride into town on a Three Lakes fire truck. Seeing everyone come out year after year to celebrate the start of the holiday season is a heartwarming sight for Brunswick and his team of volunteers.
"It's all about the community. This is our way of giving back to the community, and to see everyone show up every year really makes it all worthwhile," he said. "There's a lot of preparation that goes into it. We'd never be able to do this without all of the volunteers that come out to help us get everything set up and running smoothly. It's hard work, but seeing everyone come out to celebrate with us, it makes it all worthwhile."
The cookies and hot chocolate are always a big hit, and it's never hard to tell how much fun the reindeer are having with all the attention paid to them. A karaoke station was added this year to fill the air with the sounds of Christmas carols. The real highlight though, the reason everyone bundles up and heads out into the cold, is the big man himself - Santa Claus.
As soon as the fire truck turns the corner, screams of, "He's here, he's here," fill the air. It's truly a wonderful sight.
"I just can't get over how wonderful a job the chamber does with this. Each year it seems like it's cold and miserable, but once you get here and get some hot chocolate and cookies and warm up by the fire, you don't even notice the cold," said Sherri Telmovich, mother of three eager Santa greeters. "And really, how can you be cold when you've got all these wonderful, excited kids running around to see Santa? It just warms your heart to see their faces when he shows up."
Once he shows up, there's no doubt that Santa is the main attraction.
"I've been working on my list for a long time now. I wanted it to be perfect for Santa," Melody Clark, age 7, said.
"I can't wait to see him and share my cookies with him."
After spending a few hours with the kids of Three Lakes, it was time for Santa to take off for his next appointment.
He headed south to Tomahawk to spend Saturday evening helping that city celebrate its annual Northern Lights Christmas Parade and Winter Wonderland.
Once again, the big man was the center of the party.
"I almost feel bad for everyone else in the parade, because all the kids are just sitting waiting to see Santa," Bill Greder said.
"Once they see him, boy, it makes you want to be a kid again. It brings you back to when you were young and writing your list for Santa. That's the best thing about this time of year, everyone gets to be a kid again."
That feeling was shared by many waiting in line to see Santa is his little hut.
"There's a lot of great things about being a first-time dad, but this might just top the list," said Frank Gresher, who brought his 14-month-old son Carter to see Santa for the first time.
"It's been so long since I went to see Santa, I feel like I'm the one visiting him. I can't wait to bring Carter here year after year. The city really does a great job with this. It's a wonderful tradition that I'm so happy to be a part of."
Santa's not done with the Northwoods yet, though. He has plenty of stops planned throughout December. Kids should make their lists are ready and they stay on the nice side of Santa's ledger.
Marcus Nesemann may be reached at [email protected].
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