Community Spotlight – Light Up Downtown Brainerd

The holidays are truly here. Christmas carols echoed through the streets and the sights of the season were obvious in Downtown Brainerd on Saturday at their annual Christmas kickoff event. But this year’s ceremony was a little different; for the first time ever, they held a tree lighting ceremony to kick start the Yuletide season.

It wasn’t just about beginning the holiday season, however. The event was also held to promote local businesses. But with over 500 visitors, it was the jolly old man in the big red suit who stole the holiday fruitcake of this event.

Santa was the most popular attraction from the weekend, even beating the horse drawn sleigh rides, which drew over 400 visitors. But from the looks of it, the community of Brainerd is just ready to get the holiday season started.