The big Christmas tree in Sibley Park grew by two-thirds since last year.
It’s not a super Fraser fir tree, just a much bigger metal structure that anchors the Kiwanis Holiday Lights display.
The Mankato Area Foundation has long found donors who have supported the event and they ask Kiwanis organizers each year what their wish list is in case an interested donor steps forward.
“We said we’d like to grow a metal tree in the middle of the park,” Kyle Mrozek, one of the festival organizers, said they told the foundation last year.
“They had a donor who stepped up. Our center tree was 45 feet and now it’s 75 feet tall.”
Friday night the festival kicked off with a parade, followed by the new tree and other displays being lit up to oohs and aahs.
Tashana Anderson, with kids Kyrie, 7, and Jalen, 3, said they come to the festival every year.
“I like to see all the lights when they light up. And the candy canes and popcorn,” said Kyrie.
Tashana said the event is a great community endeavor.
“This is the fruition of the community coming together.”
Andy and Tricia Hultengren, with their kids, 7 and 2, have been to several parades and see the lights almost every year.
“They add things on every year, which is nice,” Tricia said.
Kiwanis members Jeannie Boerger and Laura Stevens were pulling a wagon filled with flashing items they were selling for $5 and $10.
“We tried it last year to raise money for the Holiday Lights and we were swamped, so this year we have two groups doing it,” Stevens said.
The items included lighted snowflakes, wands and the popular Minecraft sword. Their best customers, they said, are grandparents who get something for each of their grandkids.
The items are for sale throughout the festival in the concession stand.
Mrozek said the parade has been a fixture since Holiday Lights started in 2012.
“The idea was that we wanted something on opening night to build up to the lights going on. It was an unknown that’s really taken off.”
He said there were about 35 lighted floats in the parade this year.
After the parade, the lights in Sibley Park were flipped on.
“To see 2 million lights come on is pretty cool,” Mrozek said.
He said the number of parade units has grown, helped by the fact that North Mankato has its Bells on Belgrade event that happens a week after the opening of the Holiday Lights.
“It’s nice that North Mankato has their event next Saturday so people can decorate a float and use them in both parades over two weeks.”
“Last year we had an estimated 7,000 to 7,500 people at the parade. It was the largest we’ve ever had. The weather was perfect,” Mrozek said. “With the cold this year I’m guessing it will be a little less.”
The Affordable Towing float took top honors in the parade, with The Guy LLC taking second place and Kato Moving & Storage third.
This year’s grand marshal was Heidi Boyum.
The festival also got some new light displays beside the bigger tree.
Last year there was an “Only in Minnesota” lighted display that people could pose in front of and take photos of family and friends. This year Kiwanis mimicked the popular stop by creating a display with the Kiwanis Holiday Lights logo and a platform for people to stand on to have their photos taken.
“It looks great. We tested it and the photos turned out great. The Kiwanis logo and Mankato will be on a lot of Christmas cards this year,” Mrozek predicted
Near that display — located where a skating rink used to be — is a new animated water fountain display.
After spending weeks with volunteers setting up all the displays, Mrozek recently found a little time to take care of some business at his home.
“I finally got some lights put up on my house on Wednesday. I’ve been pretty busy.”