Manitowoc and Two Rivers parades, Evergleams on Eighth, Lights in Lincoln Park kick off holiday season. Plus, more news in weekly dose.
MANITOWOC - Manitowoc's Lakeshore Holiday Parade kicks off the holiday season when it steps off at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday.
The parade follows a route heading east at South 12th Street and Washington Street to South Eighth Street, then north to Park Street and the Two Rivers parade travels down Washington Street from 22nd to 16th streets.
From 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Wednesday before the parade and then again after the parade, a Santa reception will be held at Rahr-West Art Museum, 610 N. Eighth St. The event is free and kids can meet with Santa, enjoy treats and take in the beauty of the art museum. This will also serve as the opening day for the museum's new elevator and the unveiling of the museum's annual "Christmas in the Mansion" display.
▶ Two Rivers' holiday parade is Saturday: Meanwhile, Two Rivers’ Main Street Hometown Christmas Parade will step off at 5:30 p.m. Saturday.
The parade will coincide with the city's Shop Hometown event, which runs 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. at downtown Two Rivers shops. People can also stop at the Two Rivers Main Street office, 1608 Washington St., for a chance to win prizes.
▶ Evergleams on Eighth begins: More than 30 downtown Manitowoc storefront windows will be “aluminized” when “Evergleams on Eighth” sparkles from Thanksgiving Eve (Nov. 23) through the first weekend after the New Year.
More than 40 different sizes, styles and colors of vintage aluminum Christmas trees will return home to the city where they were first manufactured for their Christmas debut in 1959 — more than 60 years ago.
Several collectors will be sharing their Evergleam and Evergreen trees. They are avid collectors of all things Evergleam, the brand name used by Aluminum Specialty Company. Their combined collections number more than 300 aluminum trees, including some very seldom seen and rare varieties. Numerous color wheels and rotating tree stands, also commonly used with the trees during the early 1960s when the trees were most popular, are also included in the display.
Manitowoc Public Library, 707 Quay St., will be “All Things Gleaming,” where the main floors will display Frankie’s Forest of aluminum trees. Visitors will also find a “photo op” area that will take visitors back to a 1960s family living room. Several displays will feature Mirro products, including everyday items, copper-tone lines and a collection of Medallion Ware, on loan from the Manitowoc County Historical Society. Special items from The National Tinsel Co. are also featured among the displays.
There will be extended hours to view the library displays a half hour before each of the “Trolley to the Trees,” in which passengers will board at 4:30 or 5:30 p.m. on Dec. 10 or 5, 6 or 7 p.m. on Dec. 17.
Special fun this year will be Evergleam-a-ganza at the library the evening of Dec. 10. Tickets for the event, which will have music, hors d’oeuvres, beverages and surprises, can be purchased at https://www.evergleams.org/evergleamaganza.
"Evergleams on Eighth" displays can be viewed through Jan. 8, 2023. Maps showing the locations of many of the trees will be available at any place there is a tree or at evergleams.org.
▶ Lights in Lincoln Park opens: Lights in Lincoln Park, now in its 11th year, will be open 5-8 p.m. Nov. 25-26, Dec. 1-3, Dec. 8-10 and then every night Dec. 15-29.
The light show includes more than 70 wild animals, many animated. The displays are arranged along a park road and extend nearly 1 mile. Admission to the drive-through show is $5 per car. The park is at 1215 N. Eighth St.
Santa Claus will be at the show from 5 to 8 p.m. Nov. 25, Dec. 2, 9 and 16. On those nights, enjoy cookies, hot chocolate and candy while taking photos.
In conjunction with Lights in Lincoln Park, a Family Fun Walk will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. Nov. 22 and Dec. 30. On the walk, enjoy the spectacular wild animal displays at your own pace. Admission is a donation of $5 per person or $10 per family. The walk is sponsored by Lincoln Park Zoological Society with proceeds supporting Lincoln Park Zoo improvements and educational programming.
New this year at the light show will be Manitowoc Public Utilities’ free light exchange from 5 to 8 p.m. Dec. 9. In exchange for old strings of incandescent lights, MPU will provide up to three new strings of LED lights per household. Old lights will be recycled.
▶ Pinecrest Christmas returns in December: Another Manitowoc holiday tradition, Manitowoc County Historical Society’s annual Pinecrest Christmas, will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Dec. 9 and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 10 at Pinecrest Historical Village, 924 Pinecrest Road, Manitowoc.
Dec. 9 will feature a lantern-guided evening stroll. Lanterns will guide guests on their path around the historic Pinecrest Village as they venture into homes and businesses. Groups will also be performing at Niles Church, including The Lincoln Singers at 4:30 p.m., Mishicot Soundwave at 5 p.m. and the Wilson/Washington Holiday Horns at 5:30 p.m. Patrons 21 and older can stop by the saloon for spirits and music with Paddygrass, a three-piece folk band.
Those attending can help decorate the village, learn the art of print-making and make their own holiday cards. They can also take part in a Victorian Christmas dance both days. Plus, Santa Claus will visit on Dec. 10.
Admission is $10 for adults, $7 for children ages 5-17, and free for ages 4 and younger and museum members. For more information, call 920-684-4445 or visit ManitowocCountyHistory.org.
▶ Kiel Municipal Band to present holiday concert Dec. 3: The Kiel Municipal Band will present its annual Christmas Concert at 4 p.m. Dec. 3 at the Kiel High School Performing Arts Center.
The band will be performing traditional favorites of the Christmas season. The concert opens with Leroy Anderson’s “Sleigh Ride,” followed by Alfred Reed’s arrangement of “Greensleeves.”
A new piece by Bob Krogstad features selections that have to do with “bells.” In this medley, there are some very creative settings of bell-themed songs, such as “Ding Dong, Merrily on High,” “The Bell Carol,” “Silver Bells,” “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” and “Jingle Bells.”
Jon Weir, from the KMB trumpet section, will be the featured soloist on fluegelhorn, performing “Silent Night.”
Children of all ages will love hearing “A Charlie Brown Christmas” with the well-known music from the animated TV special.
The concert will conclude with “A Fireside Christmas,” by Sammy Nestico, a medley of Christmas songs including “Frosty,” “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” and “The Christmas Song.”
Santa is taking time out from his schedule to make a visit to Kiel during the concert. Kids will have a chance to speak with Santa and get a treat as well.
Kiel High School Performing Arts Center is handicapped accessible. The concert is free and open to everyone. There will be an opportunity to make a free-will donation.
▶ Letters to Santa being accepted in Two Rivers: Two Rivers Parks & Recreation Department is collecting Letters to Santa from kids up to age 12 through Dec. 8.
Those who send a letter can receive a special letter from the North Pole.
For more details, contact the department at 920-793-5592 or go to trrec.activityreg.com.
Welcome to your weekly dose.
Start your week here in weekly dose, a roundup of local community news. Here are more things happening in the Manitowoc County community:
▶ Lakeshore Technical College chosen as a top 10 Bellwether Award finalist: For the fourth time in five years, Lakeshore Technical College has been selected as a top 10 Bellwether Award finalist.
The annual award recognizes community colleges with innovative, trendsetting programs or practices in place that other colleges across the county could replicate to address the critical issues facing community colleges across the country. It is considered one of the most elite awards given to community colleges.
LTC is the only college in Wisconsin named as a finalist.
Bellwether Awards are given annually in three categories. LTC is a finalist in the Planning, Government, and Finance category. LTC’s entry showcases its new pre-award grant strategy, which is saving the college time and resulting in significantly higher amounts of awarded funding.
“The changes we purposefully made to how we identify and pursue grants directly contributed to our average annual competitive grant award more than doubling,” LTC President Dr. Paul Carlsen said in a news release. “This resulted in a record amount of funding — $8 million — over the last year. Because of this funding, we have been able to better respond to changing industry needs, invest in new equipment, provide additional targeted outreach and support, and try new, innovative ways to achieve our mission.”
According to Carlsen, until LTC’s grants process was broken down and analyzed by leadership in 2019, the college looked at all grant proposals with equal importance and experienced limited award success. His leadership team viewed the situation as an opportunity to improve efficiency and effectiveness. The creation and empowerment of a grants council accomplished both goals.
Since the council has been in place, LTC has significantly increased its competitive awards received. Average annual competitive grants have increased from $2.1 million to $4.8 million. The college also secured the three largest competitive grant awards in its history and became a direct recipient of three National Science Foundation grants.
A team from LTC will compete at the 29th annual Community College Futures Assembly in San Antonio, Texas, in February. One winner will be selected from each of the three categories by a panel of national experts. The Bellwether Award is sponsored by the Alamo Colleges District in San Antonio, Texas.
▶ Civil War gravestone restoration about halfway finished: An effort to restore Civil War gravestones at Manitowoc’s Evergreen Cemetery has finished for the season.
Organizer Daniel Reinke said this year’s efforts resulted in the completion of the restoration of 23 Civil War gravestones in section E2 of the cemetery.
Between this year and last year, which was the first year of the effort, more than 150 gravestones of soldiers, wives and other family members have been restored, Reinke said.
The goal for 2023 will be to restore remaining Civil War gravestones in the cemetery, which Reinke said is believed to be about 100.
He added efforts will continue to include the restoration of gravestones of soldiers’ wives and family members, which means about 125 or more gravestones will need to be restored.
2023 efforts will begin on the first Saturday in October and conclude on Veterans Day 2023, when Reinke said they should be able to complete the mission of restoring all Civil War gravestones in the cemetery.
Reinke said the effort has been largely self-funded by volunteers but some financial assistance was received from Emily and Mike Howe, Shooter Malone’s, Manitowoc Trophy, Cathie and Gary Kocourek, Jenn’s Java, Festival Foods and Seehafer News. Anyone interested in assisting to offset the cost of the effort can contact Reinke at 920-973-7870 or SaveTheVeteransDan@outlook.com, although he notes the group is not yet a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
▶ St. Anne Parish in Francis Creek to host chili pick-up Dec. 3-4: A drive-through chili pick-up will be held at St. Anne Parish in Francis Creek before and after the 6 p.m. Mass on Dec. 3 and from 9 a.m. until the chili is sold out on Dec. 4.
Pick-up will be at the Parish Hall, 202 S. Packer Drive in Francis Creek. Cost is $7 per quart. People are asked to take their own containers, if possible.
The event is sponsored by the Christian Mothers & Altar Society and supported by Catholic Financial Life Chapter 86.
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Contact Brandon Reid at 920-686-2984 or breid@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @breidHTRNews.
This article originally appeared on Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter: Manitowoc and Two Rivers 2022 holiday parades: Start times and routes
