This year Sidney’s Small-Town Christmas events will include Parade of Lights, Social Distancing with Santa, 18th Annual Parade of Trees, Winter Light Up contest, Christmas Cash, and the Big Bucks Program.
Sidney’s annual Parade of Lights event will start 6:30 p.m., Friday, Nov. 27, at the south parking lot of Western Choice Cooperative and Lucky Lil’s Casino. “There will be some great local entertainment including the Sidney Rockettes! Santa Claus will make a pit stop at Reese and Rays IGA after the parade for cookies and cocoa (or cider) with the kids,” stated Kali Godfrey, Sidney Area Chamber of Commerce executive director. To register for a float in the parade, visit the Sidney Area Chamber of Commerce Facebook page or website: http://www.sidneymt.com.
This year the traditional “Breakfast with Santa’’ event hosted by the Boys and Girls Club, will temporarily be replaced with Social Distancing with Santa. This event will be 9-11 a.m., Friday, Nov. 27. There will be donuts, letters to Santa, and photos with Santa at the LYREC Lower Yard (2900 W. Holly St.) The cost is $5 or a free-will donation to the Boys and Girls Club.
The 18th Annual Parade of Trees will be Monday, Nov. 23-Friday, Nov. 27. The public will have the opportunity to view holiday trees, wreaths, ornaments, and centerpieces through the windows of the Yellowstone Marketplace building. The public will have the option to bid virtually on these pieces from Nov. 23-27. If interested in bidding you can text BGCtrees20 to 76278.
The Winter Light Up contest is a brand-new event that will take place throughout December. This is a Christmas lights contest divided into three categories: Residential, Business, and Nonprofit/School. Each category has a first prize of $300, second prize of $200, and third prize of $100. There will also be a People’s Choice Award of $100. People can vote for their favorite participant on the Sidney Herald’s Facebook or Website. Participants must be entered into this contest by Saturday, Dec. 5 to be put on the local Winter Light Up map. Godfrey said, “This event is a cool addition to our normal Christmas Stroll that’s very “COVID friendly” and adds to the holiday spirit.”
The Christmas Cash program started at the beginning of November and is scheduled to wrap up Thursday, Dec. 3. For every $20 spent at participating businesses, a customer will receive an entry into a drawing to win up to $3,000 in Chamber Bucks. The drawing for Chamber Bucks will be held Saturday, Dec. 5 at 1 p.m. People can tune in on 95.1 or Facebook Live on the Sidney Chamber of Commerce Facebook page to see if they have the matching ticket(s). Winners will have 5 minutes to come into the Chamber or call the Chamber at 406-433-1916 to claim their prize. “I can’t wait to greet the winners of some Christmas Cash! I will be living vicariously through those winners on Dec. 5,” added Godfrey.
The Big Bucks is a unique loan program, in which successful applicants can receive a loan of up to $1,000 to purchase their holiday season needs. The loan is paid out in “Big Bucks” which are dollars to be exclusively used at participating Chamber businesses.
To make sure that everyone can safely participate in this holiday fun, the Sidney Area Chamber of Commerce has incorporated CDC recommended precautions. Godfrey stated, “Fortunately, COVID-19 does not get to cancel Christmas or any holiday for that matter. It also doesn’t get to cancel family, friends, or tradition. The livelihood and wellbeing of our community is dependent on some sense of normalcy, and we can achieve that with holiday events while respecting the guidance we receive from public health.” For more information on these events, visit the Sidney Area Chamber of Commerce Facebook page.
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