Northwoods Experience: Floats, Fires & Fireworks at Pine River’s Parade Of Lights

The Pine River community braved the Minnesota cold for the annual Parade of Lights celebration this past weekend.

Hosted through the Pine River Chamber of Commerce and sporting a theme of “A Christmas Carol” theme this year, area residents had the opportunity to watch float after float take the streets and spread some holiday cheer.

The celebration has been a staple in the town for over 20 years, but for the spectators, watching the floats grace Barclay Avenue surrounded by the entire Pine River community never gets old.

“That feel of being on Main Street, USA. I mean, that’s important,” said Pat Johnson, Pine River Chamber of Commerce Interim Director. “It’s not like being in New York City or the Macy[‘s Thanksgiving Day] Parade. It’s just this hometown homegrown feeling, and most of the people you see across the street or next to you – you know, I think there’s around 900 people in Pine River and I believe all 900 of them come here.”

While preparations begin roughly four months prior to the event, the parade itself lasts for roughly 15 minutes. However, the short runtime does little to quell the excitement for those taking part.

“It’s just really nice to watch them get set up,” said Parade of Lights organizer Deb Adkins. “They’re all in great moods and they’re just so happy to be doing it and they’re excited for the parade, especially to be in it. And they have a lot of kids that they have with them to be in it and the kids are excited to be in the parade.”

The celebration doesn’t stop there, either, as following the parade, the Pine River community floods the Chamber of Commerce for refreshments before enjoying a bonfire and capping the night off with some fireworks.

“It’s just hoards of people coming into here to get the baked goods from our local Pine River bakery that they donate,” added Adkins. “The bonfire is a big draw. I was taking pictures out there just to have it so we can put on our site just to see how many people were surrounded there. And then the fireworks. I mean, the kids out there were like, ‘Ooh, aah.’ I mean, it’s just amazing.”

While the lights, bonfire, hot cocoa, and fireworks are the attractions, the real highlights are the memories made along the way.

“I think it’s just a feeling in your heart, you know, when you’re thinking about your family and all the fun you’ve had and the gatherings you’ve had, that internal feeling that we all carry,” Johnson said. “People know why we’re celebrating and enjoy the celebration. And it all is about family and what we know of family and memories.”

Sponsors for the Parade of Lights celebration included Hardware Hank, the PineandLakes Echo Journal, and the Pine River State Bank.