Congratulations to the organizers of the downtown Holiday Bazaar this year for offering another fun event for residents. Whether you wanted to get in some shopping, take part in activities or grab a bite to eat, the bazaar offered something for everyone.

This year the event offered everything from ice skating, sledding and snow angel making to a trolley, a live Nativity, the Albert Lea High School Caroliers and other entertainment downtown. There was the Community Brass Band, a visit from Santa Claus, face painting and a silent auction for the holiday lights project.

Not to mention, most of the shops had special discounts and fun give-aways for shoppers.

With the newly installed holiday decorations, it was a magical evening.

This comes on the heels of a highly successful downtown Halloween event, which drew in many young families.

It’s exciting to see the downtown come alive for these events and on a day-to-day basis, and we look forward to seeing more take place in the future.