Northfield Downtown Development Corporation

This Thursday, December 4th, it’s the 10th Annual Winter Walk in Downtown Northfield. Sponsored by the Retail Committee of the Chamber of Commerce, the event is from 5 to 9 p.m. and there’s fun for the whole family.

In addition to the every-day Downtown Northfield opportunity to stroll through unique shops, dine at fine restaurants, and see your friends and neighbors, there are special events for Winter Walk. This year there is a parade along Division Street at 5 p.m., Santa’s helpers handing out candy canes throughout the downtown, Frosty the Snowman and Rudolph the Reindeer greeting people all evening long, caroling by choirs of all ages, music by various ensembles all around the area, real live reindeer on Division Street, horse-drawn wagon rides, and in-store specials, drawings, treats, and free gift wrapping in many of the business locations with special gift items for your family and friends.

For a listing of all the events, see the Winter Walk Schedule. So come on down(town), this Thursday, and enjoy Winter Walk!

The second Historic Northfield Sign has been erected on Highway 35. This one is just south of exit 69 and on the east side of the road. It greets all those folks driving up from Iowa…and, I suppose, Missouri, Arkansas, and Louisiana.

The sign was installed by Fredrickson Outdoor Advertising. The company is based in Northfield and the same competent and courteous organization that erected the previous Historic Northfield Sign. The sign is part of a State of Minnesota program, administered by the (truly) helpful folks from MNDoT down in Rochester.

In addition to Fredrickson Outdoor Advertising and MNDoT Rochester, the NDDC would like to thank the Northfield Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Northfield Economic Development Authority for their support of this exciting project.

…and the stuffings, and the rolls, and the two slices of pie, and get out for some local entertainment, today, tomorrow and Sunday.

Tonight, Friday, November 28th, It’s a Wonderful Life, 7:30 p.m., Arts Guild Theater, 411 West Third Street, Karaoke, 9 p.m., J. Grundy’s Rueb-N-Stein, 503 Division Street, and New Moon Trio (Ross Currier, Lance Heisler and Justin London), 9 p.m., The Contented Cow, 302B Division Street.

Tomorrow, Saturday, November 29th, It’s a Wonderful Life, 7:30 p.m., Arts Guild Theater, local song-writing and singing sensation Meredith Fierke, 8 p.m., The Contented Cow, and The Jealous Husbands, The Tavern Lounge, riverside of The Archer House, 212 Division Street.

Then Sunday, November 30th, It’s a Wonderful Life, 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., Arts Guild Theater, Quiz Night, 4 p.m., The Contented Cow, Politics and a Pint, 6 p.m., The Contented Cow, Northern Roots Session, 7:30 p.m., The Contented Cow, and I Cantanti and Le Donne Cantanti, 7:30 p.m., Carleton Concert Hall on the Carleton College campus.

Ann Mosey, the new Northfield Arts Guild Executive Director, will be our guest at this month’s Downtown Forum.

The event is scheduled for Tuesday, December 2nd at 8 a.m. in the Riverview Conference Room, located in the lower level of the Archer House, 212 Division Street, in downtown Northfield. Downtown stakeholders and members of the arts community are encouraged to attend this opportunity to dialogue on downtown and the arts.

Ann was most recently Executive Director of the Arts Alliance of Portage County in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. Her service there included an Economic Impact Study of the arts, the development of a Public Arts Master Plan, and coordination of collaborations in tourism marketing.

She brings other valuable experiences to our community. She co-produced the Central Wisconsin Annual Independent Film Festival, was Operations Manager for the Central Wisconsin Children’s Museum, and taught dance at the University of Wisconsin, Arizona State University, and Ohio State University.

So come on down(town) and meet Ann Mosey next Tuesday and talk about our opportunities and challenges for the arts and Northfield.

The NDDC is a non-partisan, non-profit community organization dedicated to the vitality of downtown Northfield. The event is free and open to the public. As always, coffee and cookies will be served.

For more information, contact Executive Director Ross Currier at (507) 663-0319 or rcurrier@nddc.org.

This weekend is book-ended by Jazz. Northfield’s cool cats will be diggin’ it.

Friday, November 21st, starts with Occasional Jazz, 5 to 7 p.m., followed by the Bridgewater Ramblers, 8 p.m., both at The Contented Cow, 302B Division Street, Josef Hines, 7 to 9:00 p.m., at Hogan Brothers, 415 Division Street, Spring Awakening, 7:30 p.m., at Kesley Theater on the St. Olaf College campus, Sing for Joy Hymn Festival, 8 p.m., in Boe Chapel on the St. Olaf College campus, a Jazz Concert, 8:15 p.m., The Pause in Buntrock on the St. Olaf College campus, The Norwegian Cowboy will be at the Tavern Lounge, riverside of The Archer House, 212 Division Street, and the Wizard of Oz at the Northfield Middle School.

Saturday, November 22nd, the Northfield Raiders take on Mankato West for the State AAAA Football Championship, 3 p.m., at the Dome, then it’s Spring Awakening, 7:30, Kesley Theater on the St. Olaf College campus, the Wizard of Oz at the Northfield Middle School, the Roger Anderson Trio, at The Contented Cow, and Relativity at the Tavern Lounge.

Sunday, November 23rd, there’s a Jazz Concert, 4 p.m., The Pause on the St. Olaf College campus, Quiz Night, 4 p.m., Politics and a Pint, 6 p.m., Northern Roots Session, 7:30, and the St. Olaf Philharmonia, 7:30 p.m., Skoglund Center on the St. Olaf College campus.