It’s the 2024 holiday season — depending on who you ask.
But the day after Thanksgiving means numerous holiday kickoff events in communities across Northern Minnesota and the start of most holiday light shows.
Below is a list of lights, festivals and parades celebrating the holidays in the region.
Notice an event or light show we missed? Email us!
Aitkin
Fish House Parade
What: Parade
When: Nov. 29
Where: Downtown Aitkin
Baxter
Sertoma Winter Wonderland
What: Drive-through lights
When: 5:30-8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, Nov. 28-Dec. 21, and Dec. 24-31
Where: Northland Arboretum
Cost: $15/vehicle in advance or $20/vehicle at the gate
Bemidji
First City of Lights
What: Parade and fireworks to kick off drive-through or walk-through lights
When: Night We Light Nov. 29, lights season-long
Where: Downtown Bemidji; various locations
Cost: Free
Biwabik
Weihnachtsfest
What: Holiday festival
When: Dec. 7
Where: Carl Shuster Park
Bovey
Small Town Vintage Christmas
What: Holiday festival
When: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Dec. 7
Where: Bovey City Hall
Brainerd
Hometown Holidays
What: Tree lighting, window displays and Small Business Saturday deals
When: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Nov. 30
Where: Downtown Brainerd
Cost: Free
Chisholm
Bringing Light to Chisholm
What: Holiday festival
When: 5 p.m. Dec. 5
Where: Downtown Chisholm
Kiwanis Club's Holly Jolly
What: Family event
When: 4-7 p.m. Dec. 12
Where: Minnesota Discovery Center
Cost: Free
Cohasset
Light the Night
What: Holiday festival
When: 5-7 p.m. Dec. 5
Where: Cohasset City Hall
Deer River
Winterfest
What: Holiday festival
When: Dec. 7
Where: Various locations
Detroit Lakes
Parade of Lights
What: Tree lighting and parade
When: 5:30-6 p.m. Dec. 2
Where: Downtown Detroit Lakes
Cost: Free
Duluth
Bentleyville Tour of Lights
What: Walk-through lights
When: 5-9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, 5-10 p.m. Friday-Saturday, Nov. 23-Dec. 28
Where: 700 W. Railroad St.
Cost: Free; parking $10/vehicle
Larger Than Life Lights
What: Walk-through lights
When: Friday-Saturday Dec. 6-21
Where: Lake Superior Zoo
Cost: $5/member, $10/non-member, free for ages 2 and under
Exhibition Drive Holiday Sound and Light Show
What: Drive-through lights
When: 5-10 p.m. Nov. 29-Dec. 31
Where: 2725 Exhibition Drive
Cost: Free
Grand Marais
Oh Ole Night
What: Holiday festival
When: 5:30-10 p.m. Nov. 29
Where: Downtown Grand Marais
Cost: Free
Holiday Harbor Village
What: Holiday festival
When: Dec. 6-7
Where: Downtown Grand Marais
Grand Rapids
Lights in the Pines
What: Drive-through lights
When: 5-9 p.m. Friday-Saturday, Nov. 22-Dec. 21, and Dec. 22-23
Where: Itasca County Fairgrounds
Cost: $10/passenger car or truck, $25/ small transportation bus or van
Hibbing
Winter Wonderland Yuletide Festival
What: Holiday festival
When: 3-7 p.m. Dec. 12
Where: Hibbing Public Library
Nisswa
City of Lights
What: Holiday festival
When: Nov. 29, beginning at 11 a.m.
Where: Downtown Nisswa
Cost: Free
Northome
5th Annual Christmas Parade
What: Parade
When: 5 p.m. Dec. 7
Where: Downtown Northome
Park Rapids
Heartland Lakes Yuletide Sampler and Community Tree Lighting
What: Holiday festival
When: Nov. 29
Where: Downtown Park Rapids
Roseau
Night of Lights
What: Drive-through or walk-through lights
When: 5-8 p.m. Friday-Sunday, Dec. 6-22, Dec. 23, and drive-through only Dec. 24
Where: Pioneer Farm, west of Roseau on Highway 11
Cost: Free
Wadena
Christmas in Wadena
What: Drive-through or walk-through lights
When: 5:30-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 5:30-10 p.m. Friday-Sunday, Nov. 28-Jan. 1
Where: 414 SW Third St.
Cost: Free
Walker
Festival of Lights
What: Holiday festival
When: Nov. 29-30
Where: Downtown Walker
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When the garden or farmers market gives you everything at once, the best way to handle it is to return to the fundamentals: roast, grill, bake, pickle, can, dry, freeze and sauté. These aren’t just methods, they’re survival tools during harvest season. Especially grilling. Because it’s summer. And everything tastes better with a little char and a lot of butter.This week, Amy and Heidi talked to Erin Haefele of Green Scene in Walker, Minnesota, "a charming food haven nestled in the heart of rural northern Minnesota where small-town warmth meets big-city sophistication." Erin inspires us with simple preparations to deliciously fresh garden ingredients. And we hear from Amy's friend Beth Friedrichson from Wisconsin, who gushes about dilly beans and life on the farm with chickens and alpacas.Lots of folks phoned in to talk about their harvests, whether it was peonies in Stillwater, garlic near Detroit Lakes, urban front yard CSAs in Minneapolis, potato varieties in Deer River or stuffed grape leaves in Chicago, you had a story to tell. Share yours! This week's community recipe to cook along with us is Onion Pie: kaxe.org/community-recipe-onion-pie-ham-radio-amy-thielen. Give it a try and send us your reactions and photos at comments@kaxe.org!Ham Radio Features original licensed music — "You Know How I Like It" by Jeremy Messersmith.Made possible by the Minnesota Arts & Culture Heritage Fund. Support KAXE by becoming a member today: https://donate.nprstations.org/kaxe/donate -
KAXE responds to the House vote to rescind public media funding and urges the Senate to protect trusted local news, emergency alerts and community programming in Northern Minnesota. -
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