Mother Nature looks to be a perfect partner for the kick off to the holiday season this week! Warmer temperatures and sunny skies will make for safe Thanksgiving Day travels. No snow and warmer temps are also encouraging for those classic car owners and families who enjoy taking part in the downtown Flandreau Christmas Parade and Tree Lighting Ceremony at the Moody County Courthouse. Temperatures are expected to be in the upper 30’s to lower 40’s around the time the parade kicks off. Holiday celebrations in downtown Flandreau continue to grow in 2022 with a long list of events scheduled for this Saturday, November 26.
This year, the parade returns with a theme of “Light Up Flandreau.” Randy Wilts was chosen as the Parade Marshal. He is being celebrated for all of the time and years he’s put into caring for the community and specifically its parks as a recently retired city employee.
Organizers of both the parade and the courthouse lighting hope that people will come downtown early and stay late as businesses will host an Open House from 3-5 p.m., there will be a family-friendly movie, The Star, at the Crystal Theatre at 4pm, line-up for the parade begins at 5:30 p.m. and the parade starts at 6. Added this year will be the Mennonite Choir in the park downtown between Hunkake Cafe and First National Bank, along with a live nativity and the Wakpa Ipaksan Youth Drum Group.
Local businesses will be open and handing out “treats” to the parade goers. Bar X, hot chocolate; First National Bank, hot apple cider; Gone2Pieces, cookies; El Rinconcitos, mexican hot chocolate and bread; King Insurance, cookies; Hunkake, chesnuts; and Edgewood Greenleaf will hand out candy canes.

The Tree Lighting and caroling at the Courthouse will commence as soon as the parade makes its way back to Courthouse square. The Holiday Committee along with City of Flandreau crews decorated nearly every tree on the Courthouse lawn over the past couple of weeks, even family members came out to help.
“The entire courtyard will be lit up,” said organizers.
The Courthouse will also be open for visitors to enjoy the Christmas Tree festival held yearly inside the courthouse.
Parade entries are still being accepted. Contact Kim at (605) 864-1720 for more information. Tree monetary sponsorships are also available on the Courthouse. Contact Brittany at (605) 864-8636.
Inside the courthouse, the gang is sponsoring the 31st annual Christmas Tree Festival.
For children that may wish to write a Letter to Santa, a mailbox is located in the 2nd Avenue park. Letters will be accepted through December 1st. Children are asked to pick up a form at River’s Edge Coop, Maynards, Lewis Drug Store, the Flandreau Flower Shoppe and the Hunkake Café. They can write their letter to Santa and return it to the mailbox in the Park before December 1.