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<strong>DIS</strong>COVER! | NOVEMBER 28, 2015<br />
10 | Community<br />
At a Glance:<br />
WHAT: Festival of Lights<br />
WHERE: Downtown Rock Valley<br />
WHEN: Thursday, Dec. 3 from 3:30-<br />
7 p.m.<br />
COST: Varies, but kids events and<br />
the parade are free<br />
CONTACT: 712-476-9300<br />
ONLINE: www.rockvalleychamber.<br />
com<br />
Race:<br />
Hegg Memorial will be hosting<br />
a fun run to get the blood<br />
pumping in the winter chill.<br />
The 3rd annual Frosty 5K and<br />
Merry Mile will be held in conjunction<br />
with the Rock Valley Festival<br />
of Lights on Thursday, Dec. 3.<br />
Registration is available<br />
online at https://clients.<br />
mindbodyonline.com/classic/<br />
home?studioid=34432 or by mail.<br />
All participants will receive a<br />
long-sleeved t-shirt. Races will<br />
not be timed.<br />
The cost is $10 per participant<br />
and there will be prizes for best<br />
winter costumes. The race starts<br />
at 5:30 p.m.<br />
KATE HARLOW | STAFF WRITER<br />
Lighting up the night<br />
Festival of Lights jumpstarts the season in Rock Valley<br />
Winter lengthens the nights<br />
but during the holiday season<br />
that darkness takes on<br />
a sparkly glow with the addition of<br />
Christmas lights.<br />
Rock Valley will be hosting an event<br />
where those lights take center stage.<br />
The 3rd annual Festival of Lights is<br />
set to take place on Thursday, Dec. 3,<br />
from 3:30-7 p.m.<br />
“It’s a family type of event and provides<br />
an outing for kids and families,”<br />
said Keith Sietstra, the community activities<br />
and chamber director in Rock<br />
Valley. “It’s our way of welcoming the<br />
holiday season.”<br />
The Festival of Lights kicks off at<br />
3:30 p.m. at the Lighthouse facility<br />
downtown, which is located just west<br />
of Pizza Ranch. At that indoor location,<br />
they have all kinds of activities<br />
and crafts set up for kids to have a<br />
ball. They will be making ornaments,<br />
coloring bags and decorating cookies.<br />
“We have tables full of activities<br />
and chamber businesses volunteer to<br />
man those tables,” Sietstra said. “We<br />
also bring over 300 Christmas tree<br />
cookies with green frosting. The kids<br />
can make and take them home or eat<br />
them right there.”<br />
The Lighthouse will also be the<br />
place to hear some music, visit with<br />
Santa, as well as watch a holiday movie.<br />
They’ll be playing “Home Alone”<br />
for those who want to stay inside<br />
where it’s warm.<br />
There will also be sleigh rides<br />
around downtown and this year they<br />
are incorporating something completely<br />
new into the Festival of Lights<br />
event.<br />
“We’re going to be doing a downtown<br />
holiday scavenger hunt. There<br />
will be 15 different places where kids<br />
or parents or families can go,” Sietstra<br />
said. “They’ll collect clues and come<br />
back. If people are able to get to all<br />
the places then they will get a free<br />
smoothie.”<br />
Hegg Memorial will be hosting the<br />
3rd annual Frosty 5k and Merry Mile<br />
fun run/walk later on in the evening at<br />
5:30 p.m. They will be giving a prize<br />
for the best costume.<br />
“Last year, they had about 75-100<br />
runners. They were all decked out in<br />
twinkly lights, jingle bells, Santa hats,<br />
and other fun things,” Sietstra said.<br />
After the race wraps up, it’s time to<br />
don the winter gear and head to 14th<br />
Street for the main event.<br />
The lighted parade starts around 6:15<br />
p.m., and while it’s not huge, it is impressive<br />
in a completely different way.<br />
“We usually only have about 15<br />
bussinesses or groups with a lit float<br />
and we go down 14th Street, because<br />
it is a street that doesn’t have a ton of<br />
lights. Everyone really enjoys seeing<br />
it,” Sietstra said.<br />
“I think it’s one of the most fun<br />
things to see the lighted parade. It’s<br />
fun to see the excitement of the holiday<br />
season in the eyes of the youth,<br />
residents and visitors.” F<br />
Rock Valley | Iowa