Fourth annual Christmas Time at The Mill

The fourth annual Christmas Time at the Mill event will be Saturday, Dec. 7 from 1 to 7 p.m. This community-focused event is free of charge and is centered around children; adults can attend as well.

 

Plans for decorating and creating a seasonal atmosphere are well underway. Matthew Petsinger of American Family Insurance, one of the chief organizers, observed, “Christ Community Church was kind enough to donate boxes of Christmas lights, trees, decorations and lots of stars. We’re really going to make it look good this year.” Not only will it look good, but there will also be some famous individuals in attendance, including Santa, who will be there from 1-7 p.m. The jolly old elf will be joined by the Grinch, and by Anna, Elsa and Olaf from the Disney movie “Frozen.” There will also be a 7-foot-tall polar bear. For the adults, the band Bryce Leppard will perform from 8 to11 p.m. and there will be no cover charge.

 

Christmas Time at the Mill is a free event put on by a group of volunteers. The first 200 or so children to arrive will be treated to free hot dogs donated by Morgan’s Meat Market. There will be face painting. About 1,500 home-baked cookies have been acquired for participants to decorate. Another area has been set aside for some craft projects. In the same space, children can write letters to Santa; then, if they wish, they can deliver them in person. Kelm’s BBQ will be the food vendor for the event. The Owatonna Hy-Vee donated all the hot chocolate, and the Cookie Lady donated the cookies.

 

Said Petsinger, “It’s a week earlier than it was last year. We had 750 people in 2023, 350 of those were kids. This year I’m hoping to see 500 kids come through.” When asked about accepting donations, Petsinger said, “It’s Christmas time; this is a time for giving. Christmas Time at the Mill is not for a cause; it’s about giving back to the community.”