This year offers a particularly full schedule of entertainment.  It includes performances by the Northfield Middle School Choirs, Reindeer Sleigh Rides, Horse-Drawn Wagon Rides, Frosty the Snowman and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, the Magic of Model Trains, the Northfield High School Instrumental Ensemble, the Bethel Lutheran Church Adult Choir, I Cantanti, Reading of Holiday Stories, Pictures with Santa, the Artech Middle School Choir, the Northfield Senior Center Choir, the Northfield Dance Academy, Pictures with the James-Younger Gang, the Madrigal Singers, and the St. Olaf Trombones.  Additional entertainment (and treats) will be offered within the individual establishments.

So come on down(town) and enjoy Winter Walk.  Take a seasonal  stroll through downtown Northfield’s mix of one-of-a-kind shops specializing in quality merchandise, wide variety of restaurants and coffee shops featuring artisan food, and a full range of services offering personalized attention

…and celebrate your community.

There’s clothing, including A Bag Lady, Aescendant Accessories, Anna’s Closet, Champion Sports, Fashion Fair, Fine Threads, Fit to be Tri’d, Kids on Division, Larson’s, Ragstock, Rare Pair, Rocky Top, Sisters Ugly, Thrifty Parrot, and Willie’s Shoes.

There are antiques, including Antiques of Northfield, Old Stuff Antiques, and Seven Gables, and there is art, including the Eclectic Goat, Fine Craft Collective, Northfield Arts Guild Gift Shop, Studio Elements, and swag.

There are the gift shops, including Cocoa Bean, Evenson’s Hallmark, Forget-Me-Not Florist, Glass Garden, the Northfield Historical Society, Jenkins Jeweler, Monarch, Northfield Yarn, Paper Petalum, Present Perfect, Rooms by Tagg 2, Secret Attic, and Sketchy Artist,

…and, of course, the retail stores, including Ace Hardware, Aquatic Pets, Bierman Home Furnishings, Echo Used DVDs and Games, Measuring Cup, Mike’s Bike Shop, Monkey See Monkey Read, NAPA Auto Parts, Northfield Liquor Store, and the Used A Bit Shoppe.

So, this weekend, starting Friday, come on down to downtown Northfield, MN for a little fun, a little food, and a little shopping.

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The NDDC’s Marketing Committee has long supported community efforts to produce events and promotions that help attract people to downtown Northfield.  Whether through bucks or biceps, we’ve always worked to pitch in to the best of our abilities.

Recent work by the committee has resulted in a fine-tuned process.  “Make It Happen” mini-grants up to $100 are now available to help with event funding. The new application form can be found online in the NDDC  Library.

The Northfield Downtown Development Corporation values the outstanding efforts that bring events—and people—to downtown Northfield.  With this mini-grant, we hope to help support many future downtown events, especially those created collaboratively.

So, if you’ve got an idea, some initiative, and an eagerness for collaboration, check out the new NDDC “Make It Happen”  Mini-Grant Program Application.  We’re working together for a vibrant and vital downtown.

Don’t let the pressure overwhelm you.  Downtown Northfield will make you free.  Let the chocolate set the mood.  (Fortunately, for people like me, there’s downtown Northfield.)

Downtown retailers are hosting Le Tour du Chocolate.  As the days grow longer, the temperatures (finally) warm up, and we begin coming out of hibernation, it’s a great time to come downtown, and do a little shopping.  (…and pull off a last minute rescue of Valentine’s Day…)

A little lagniappe helps.

So, maybe you’ll find that perfect Valentine’s gift, new item for Spring, or just something you’ve been meaning to pick up.  No matter what your initial motivation, chocolate will help.

So come on downtown, for Le Tour du Chocolate, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and get in the mood.

Participating stores include Fine Threads, Glass Garden Beads, Present Perfect, Aescendant Accessories, The Rare Pair, A Bag Lady, Northfield Arts Guild, Anna’s Closet, Sisters Ugly, Eclectic Goat, Bittersweet Eatery and Gathering Place, Monarch, Bierman’s Home Furnishings & Floor Covering, Paper Petalum and Rooms by Taggs 2.

Thanks to Northfield Patch for the links.

There’s clothing, including Aescendant Accessories, Anna’s Closet, Champion Sports, Downtown Dancewear, Fashion Fair, Fit to be Tri’d, Kids on Division, Larson’s, Ragstock, Rare Pair, Rocky Top, Sisters Ugly, Thrifty Parrot, and Willie’s Shoes.

There are antiques, including Antiques of Northfield, D & M Gathering, and Old Stuff Antiques, and Seven Gables, and there is art, including the ArtOnWater,  Eclectic Goat, Fine Craft Collective, Northfield Arts Guild Gift Shop, Oolala, Studio Elements, and swag.

There are the gift shops, including Cocoa Bean, digs, Glass Garden, the Northfield Historical Society, Jenkins Jeweler, Monarch, Paper Petalum, Present Perfect, and Rooms by Tagg 2, Secret Attic and Sketchy Artist, and, of course, the retail stores, including Ace Hardware, Aquatic Pets, Bierman Home Furnishings, Echo Used DVDs and Games, Mike’s Bike Shop, Monkey See Monkey Read, NAPA Auto Parts, Northfield Liquor Store, and the Used A Bit Shoppe.

In fact, there are well over fifty fine establishments in Downtown Northfield where you can find some great gifts for your holiday shopping.  And that doesn’t include the restaurants and service providers, who would be happy to make a gift card available to you.

So come on down(town) and check out the exceptional offerings in Northfield, Minnesota.

It had been planned for installation during the 4th Street reconstruction project.   Although the road work was completed back in July (just in time for Crazy Daze), there’s still some decorative sidewalk work to finish and the replacement trees have not yet been planted.

This latest addition to downtown Northfield’s impressive collection of signs contributes to the high standard of quality that we are fortunate to experience in our community.  In my opinion, many of the signs in downtown go beyond mere information sharing and are, admittedly utilitarian, pieces of art.

With the road work completed, getting to the restaurant is now much easier.   So be sure to come on down(town), admire the new sign, and get some great food at the Mandarin Garden.

But, who cares?  Just come on down(town) to the Boutique Crawl.  It’s this Saturday, August 18th, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Downtown Northfield.  You can make your own decisions on whether or not fashion is art.

The participating establishments are Anna’s Closet, Fashion Fair, Rare Pair, and Sister’s Ugly.  Each store is offering a 15% discount on most items, delicious treats from local restaurants, and at least a hint of lagniappe.

Diane Sinclair, of Sister’s Ugly, said that her store will be offering the food of the Ole Cafe.  In addition, they’ll have a trunk show featuring local, custom purses.  At the Rare Pair, it will be ice cream treats from the Quarterback Club.  There will also be a chance to win a pair of classic UGG boots.

So, Saturday morning, come on down(town), perhaps a bit early for the Farmers’ Market and/or Riverwalk Fair (starting at 9 a.m.) and then check out the fashions, food and fun at the Boutique Crawl.

For more information, see the article in this week’s Northfield News.

There are special, one-day deals all around town, with prices being slashed on items such as clothes, books, and furniture, as well specially-priced offerings at restaurants.  In addition, there’s a wide variety of entertainment all day long throughout downtown.

Activities include a Costume Contest, Face Painting, a Watermelon Seed Spitting Contest, a Newspaper Throwing Contest, Arts Activities, Design Your Own Button, a Beanbag Toss, a Hula Hoop Contest, a Waiters Race, a “Wing Off” Competition, a Classic Car Show, and ’50 -’60s Dance Music.

For more information, see the Chamber Retail Committee’s Event Poster or visit the Convention and Visitors’  website.

This month, our message is “Be Local…Dine Local”.  NDDC Board Member Anastasia Balfany designed the image for the Northfield Entertainment Guide ad.  It’s a plate that’s ready for your order…in downtown Northfield.

We consider ourselves fortunate to have over two dozen dining options in downtown Northfield.  They include B & L Pizza, Basil’s Pizza, Bittersweet Eatery, Goodbye Blue Monday Coffeehouse, Butler’s Steak & Ale, Caribou Coffee, Chapati, China Buffet, Contented Cow Pub, Domino’s Pizza, Eagles Club, EconoFoods, Froggy Bottoms River Pub, Hogan Brothers Acoustic Cafe, J. Grundy’s Rueb’N'Stein, James Gang HideAway, Just Food Co-op, Mandarin Garden, Quality Bakery & Coffee, Quarterback Club, Subway, Taco Bell, The Tavern, Tiny’s Dogs All Day, and the VFW Club.

The weather’s getting better; it’s safe to come out of your “cabin”.  Come on down(town) this month and Be Local…Dine Local.

The letter had one direct message: let’s reserve the best parking for our customers! We asked business owners and their employees to park in the all-day parking zones and leave the short-term parking spaces for our customers.

Parking in downtown Northfield is a shared resource.  We need to work together to make the most of it.  Through cooperation, we will all benefit.

The NDDC has distributed the Parking Guide in previous years too (and will provide additional copies upon request).  A few downtown business owners had suggested to us recently that it was about time for another reminder.

So, one more time, let’s reserve the most convenient parking spaces for our customers!