Christmas in the NW, SW and County schedules
This week, we continue our look at Austin’s Christmas in the City celebration with the schedule for Christmas in the Northwest.
Christmas in the Northwest
4-7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 2
18th Avenue — Oak Park Mall Area and surrounding area
• AmericInn Lodge & Suites: Children come fishing with the Bruins players. Santa to greet children; cookies, juice and special prizes.
• Applebee’s: Get your picture taken with Santa and register to win one of two $25 gift cards to be given away.
• Arby’s: Stop in for a Christmas treat. Get your face painted and make an ornament for your tree. Register for prizes.
• Dave Severson Agency: Children stop in to make an ornament and register for drawing.
• Dolan’s Landscape Center Inc.: Make a pinecone bird feeder to take home. Purchase that “fresh” cut tree from us.
• Double K Specialty Inc: Christmas in the Barnyard. Special in-store discounts during promotion. Sign up for prize drawing.
• Eastwood Bank: Enjoy train rides with Kaptain Kirby and warm up inside with cider and treats. Register for drawing.
• Great Clips: Children’s coloring contest. Pick up a coloring page, take home, color, return in three days, for a chance to win a prize.
•Target: Stop in for cookie decorating.
•Fantastic Sams: Ugly sweater contest. Wear an ugly sweater and have a service done between 4-7 p.m. Be entered in a drawing for one year of free haircuts (one per month).
• Games People Play: Holiday face painting and home made donuts. Register for two $50 gift certificates to be given away. Great shopping with 30 percent off the entire store.
• Hy-Vee Food Store: Christmas cookie decorating.
• KSMQ studio located at Riverland West Building: Meet and greet Curious George while warming up with apple cider. Sit in front of the camera and see yourself. Enjoy holiday songs by the Riverland Music Department 5:30-6:30 p.m. Follow the balloons for directions.
• Pizza Ranch: All children 10 and under eat free with a paying adult. Drawing for two free buffets. Candy canes for children.
• Runnings: Customer Appreciation. Enjoy holiday treats, coffee and hot cider while shopping.
• Savers Donation Drop Spot: Stop by for a candy cane. Make a donation and receive a free reusable shopping bag.
• Shopko: Make a Merry Christmas picture frame craft to take home. Enjoy hot cider, punch and cookies.
• Spam Shop: 30 percent off entire store and free temporary tattoos.
• Stadheim Jewelers: Children’s coloring contest and Christmas treat.
• Sun Tan City: Stop in for candy canes and great discounts. Receive 1/2 off membership sign up, 30 percent off products.
• Target Parking Lot: Austin Fire Trucks will be there along with “Sparky.”
• Total Fitness Gym: Open House-Enjoy refreshments, door prizes and enrollment specials.
• Usem Chevrolet: Make your very own holiday ornament.
• Walmart: Horse-drawn sleigh rides for the whole family
• Wendy’s: Fix and mix your own frosty, decorate a cookie, pin the braid on Wendy; fake tattoos, hot chocolate and cider. Make a handprint Christmas tree and register for prize drawing.
Christmas in the Southwest
4-7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 4
Sterling Shopping Center and surrounding area
• Apollo Liquor: Come in for wine tasting, meat and cheese.
• Apollo Superette: Stop by for some Hawaiian shaved ice tropical snow samples.
• Berg’s Nursery & Landscape: Come check out our barnyard friends at the holiday petting zoo. Also, enjoy dip and drink sampling.
• Bursch Travel Inc: Stop in for some freshly popped popcorn and the enter for a hotel stay giveaway.
• Cornerstone Church: Children will have a blast jumping in the inflatable bounce houses and making a Christmas craft. Also, enjoy cookies and coffee.
• D&G Ace Hardware: Stop in and enjoy cookies for all.
• Elrod, Green & Hyland, DDS: Come by to enter our coloring contest. We will be serving hot chocolate and cookies. Have your picture with Santa and receive a special toothbrush.
• Habitat ReStore: Stop in for Gingerbread house decorating. Entertainment by local musician.
• McDonalds Restaurant: (on Oakland) Come enjoy free hot chocolate and crafts for the children.
• Moline Awards & Engraving: Enjoy making a snowman cup to put a popcorn treat inside. Children enter for a chance to win a Christmas book. Adults enter for a chance to win a coupon towards packing and shipping.
• Sterling Beauty Salon: Warm up with us and enjoy cookies and apple cider.
• Sterling Drug Main Street: free picture with Santa from 4-7 p.m. All children will receive a free gift from Santa.
• Sterling Drug Main Street Parking Lot: Fire Trucks will be there along with “Sparky.”
• Sterling State Bank: Horse drawn wagon rides in the parking lot co-sponsored by Overby Orthodontics and Re/Max Results. Come in for some cookies and apple cider. Enjoy holiday music by the Austin Big Band. All children can make a Christmas craft.
• TCC Verizon/Reason Wireless: Stop in for cookies and a warm drink. Also take part in our raffle drawing.
• Walgreens: Stop in and enjoy making your own ornament and pick up a coloring sheet.
Christmas in the County
Dec. 12 and 13: Pre-bake sale on Dec. 12, full salt of events — including wagon rides, lights displays and a chance to blow the train whistle — on Dec. 13.
Holiday events
• Now-Dec. 23: The Style Lounge: Gift Card Sale. Purchase $30 gift card and get $5 free. free gift increases with larger purchases. Purchase $300 in gift cards and be entered in drawing to WIN free Redken or Pureology product for a year.
• Nov. 21 and 22: Holiday Open House and Tea at the Historic Hormel Home, 1 to 4 p.m. The 1871 home will be fully decorated for Christmas. Traditional tea menu served. Entertainment throughout both days. Tickets are $15 per person. Call 507-433-4243 for more information.
• Nov. 22: Hormel Historic Home, Murder Mystery Dinner: “Marley’s Dead, Ain’t That the Dickens.” 5:30 p.m. Enjoy theater of the 17th Street Players along with a three-course meal catered by Signatures of Northwood. Tour the beautifully decorated Historic Home. Tickets $30.
• Nov. 22 and 23: Berg’s Nursery Open House, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday. Holiday décor, fresh Christmas trees and greens galore. Special pricing on indoor gifts. Tasty dips and treats for all. Sassy drink samples for the adults.
• Nov. 24 to Dec. 14: Maurices Great Give Drive; accepting hats, mittens, scarves and gently used jackets for local schools; each item brought in will receive a 20 percent off coupon.
• Nov. 26 to Dec. 22: Toys for Tots Donation Tree-US Bank. Help decorate our donation tree with your toys or cash donations.
• Nov. 28 to Dec. 2: Dolan’s Landscape Center, Holiday Open House. Find a great selection of fresh cut trees, wreaths, roping and other holiday items. Refreshments will be served.
• Nov. 29: Berg’s Nursery, Annual Wreath Decorating Seminar 2 p.m. Come decorate your own fresh holiday wreath. Our talented designers will teach you how from start to finish. Call 433-2823 to register. $50 per person.
• Dec. 2 – 12: Christmas Toy Shop Applications; Turn yours in at the Salvation Army. Toy Shop distribution will be Dec. 18 and 19.
• Dec. 2: First Farmers & Merchants State Bank Holiday Open House, 9-4 p.m. Enjoy holiday treats.
• Dec. 3: Golden Tress Salon-Holiday Open House, 4-8 p.m.
• Dec. 3 and 4: US Bank Business Showcase: Show casing some of our business customers. Come see what they have to offer. You may find that last minute gift/idea.
• Dec. 4: Home Federal Savings Bank-Holiday Open House, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Share some holiday cheer with cookies, cider and coffee.
• Dec. 4: “Desserts, Drinks, Carols & Cabaret” at the Austin Artworks Center. Enjoy a night of decadent desserts, wonderful wines and memorable music presented by Riverland Community College Music and Theatre. Social 7, performances 7:30. Your $50 contribution is tax-deductible. Sponsored by First Farmers & Merchants Bank.
• Dec. 4-6 Community Christmas Book Fair: Austin Public Library, 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday, 12-6 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to noon Saturday. Sponsored by Friends of the Library through Barnes & Noble. Books, calendars, journals, games, cookbooks. free gift wrap.
• Dec. 5: US Bank Open House, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Come enjoy cookies, coffee and cider.
• Dec. 6: Hormel Historic Home Pre-Veldman Concert Champagne Brunch, 11 a.m. Celebrate the season with delicious food and mimosas. Proceeds benefit HHH and Paramount Theatre. Brunch and Concert $50, Brunch only $35. Discount for HHH members.
• Dec. 6: Holiday Dodge Chrysler Jeep’s holiday open house and indoor used car sale, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 2905 W Oakland Ave. Be entertained by the Holiday sounds of the Austin Big Band, enjoy Hormel Hot Dogs and take advantage of the best used car prices of the year with over 150 used vehicles specially priced and indoors. Petting Zoo, Prizes and a “Special” appearance from Santa.
• Dec. 6: Austin’s “Merry TubaChristmas” 2014. Merry TubaChristmas celebrates over 40 years. Sponsored by Austin CVB and Austin Park & Rec. Players of the tuba, sousaphone, baritone and euphoniums will perform great Christmas carols to kickoff the holiday season. Join us at 2:30 pm, Center Court at Oak Park Mall for this free concert. (Players rehearsal at 11 a.m. to $10 registration fee.)
• Dec. 11: Community Learning Center-Santa Workshop; Join us for a fun family evening of stories, songs, crafts and gifts from 5-7 p.m. Families with children birth-age 7. Children can purchase small gifts (priced from 25 cents to $20) for their families and make free gifts for their parents. Please bring non-perishable food items to be donated to the Food Shelf.
• Dec. 12: Accentra Credit Union Holiday Open House, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Stop by and enjoy popcorn and cookies as we celebrate the season.
• Dec. 12: Eastwood Bank Open House, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. (both locations). Stop in for cookies, coffee and cider. Treat bag for children.
• Dec. 13: Annual Christmas in the County: Mower County Historical Society, 1306 Sixth Ave. SW, 3-7 p.m. Holiday crafts, bake sale, festive displays, and fun for the whole family.
• Dec. 14: Austin Symphony Orchestra presents “Christmas Magic,” 2 p.m. Knowlton Auditorium. This Christmas Pops Concert features two holiday choirs and classic, modern and familiar holiday tunes to usher in the season. Adults $12 advance, $15 at door. College $10 advance, $12 at door. Students K-12 free. K-5 need to be accompanied by an adult.
• Dec. 14: Runnings “Friends and Family Night” 5 p.m. to close. One night only. All clothing 20 percent. All hard goods 10 percent off. Some exclusions apply. See store for details.
• Dec. 15-24: Flippin’ Furniture. Stop in for great holiday specials throughout the store.
• Dec. 21: Bridget’s Dance Conservatory presents “Peter Pan” a delightful ballet with students ages 3-18. AHS Knowlton Auditorium. Come with us on an adventure to Neverland. The professional dancing, creative costumes, will surely entertain. Admission $10.