Mayor Shelly Carlson and Santa Claus. (Photos/Nancy Hanson.)
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- Ferhad Mayi of Jeylan’s Sweets sells treats prepared with the help of his 12-year-old daughter.
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- Six-month-old Emilia Trabez meets Santa Claus for the first time with her mother, Michele.
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- A family poses in front of the Christmas tree in Viking Ship Park.
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- Jolly Santa Claus jokes with youngsters and Mayor Carlson at the Holiday Kickoff.
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- The FMCT’s Winter Wonderettes sing vintage Christmas favorites at the Holiday Kickoff.
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- Santa Claus greets Bernadette, James and Miriam Carr and their mother, Ranne.
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- Guests peruse the cookie table at the Holiday Kickoff.
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- Native beadwork by three generations was part of the World Market at the Hjemkomst — created by grandmother Joy Annette, daughter Sadie Nelson and granddaughter Anna Sheppard.
Families gathered at the Hjemkomst Center Tuesday for the symbolic start of Moorhead’s holiday season – the lighting of the city’s Christmas tree.
Led by Mayor Shelly Carlson, a gaggle of youngsters counted down the final moments of darkness: Five! Four! Three! Two! One! Then the mayor pressed the button, and the stately fir at the entrance to Viking Ship Park came aglow.
But this year’s Holiday Kickoff was much more than waiting breathless in the snow. The traditional event – in its second move since its long-time location in the Center Mall was demolished – included indoor festivities coordinated by the city’s parks department. The center’s lobby hosted the first of what’s planned to be a monthly series of World Markets, where half a dozen local vendors displayed and sold ethnic delicacies and handmade crafts.
A little further in, they were greeted by Santa Claus while they sipped hot chocolate, nibbled their choice of cookies and baklava, and heard briefly from the Fargo-Moorhead Community Theatre’s Winter Wonderettes, a quartet of vintage-styled vocalists singing holiday tunes.
