COTTAGE GROVE – Cottage Grove held its Kickoff to Christmas event with activities starting as early as 9 a.m., with a Jungle Rush 5k.
A record number of registrants – 225 – resulted in 209 finishers in the walk/run, where James Talley, Micah Hanke, Rob English, Konrad Raum, and Ella Cardwell finished in the top five.
Dec. 6 turned out to be an ideal running day in Cottage Grove. Folks clambered around the 3.1-mile course through the neighborhoods around Cottage Grove High School. Most had some kind of holiday decorations to embellish “normal” exercise apparel. A record number of registrants, 225, yielded a record number of finishers, 209, in the 5K Jingle Rush walk/run. Around 20 youth went through stretch exercises and then rambled around the high school track to join in the festivities. The Cottage Grove Key Club came out in force to support the runners in both events. More than 20 club members came out to coordinate the kid event, furnish music and cheer along the course, staff the finish chute, and perform a variety of tasks to keep things running smoothly.
— Jim Settelmeyer, Cottage Grove resident
5K TOP FINISHERS
- James Talley – 18:06
- Micah Hanke – 18:15
- Rob English – 18:52
- Konrad Raum – 18:54
- Ella Cardwell – 19:05
- Bryce Allen – 19:20
- Elhanan Messer – 19:22
- Peyton Ellison – 20:43
- Jackson Gifford – 20:43
- Jennings Albrecht – 20:46
Other festivities lasted throughout the day, like Dr. Snapp House Holiday Bazaar and open house, the South Valley Winter Market, and the Kickoff to Christmas Holiday Bazaar at the Armory.
The Poetry Peddler, Serendipity Random Acts of Cookies, Jo’s Dough, and Sunnyside Sam’s Nursery sold hand-crafted goods at the Armory while local band Perfect Flavor sang a cover of “Jackson” by Johnny Cash.
Right outside the Armory, on 7th Street and in the All American Square, the Cottage Grove Area Chamber of Commerce hosted more Christmas happenings. Sixteen Christmas trees lined the street, each decorated by various groups for a raffle giveaway. Some of the decorating artists included folks from Yoss Team Real Estate, the Cottage Grove Humane Society, Faithful Partner Preschool, Cottage Grove Garbage, Bean There Done That, and even McDonald’s.
When the sun went down, the Chamber supplied potato and chicken noodle soup with a dinner roll, and folks sipped on cocoa or cider while watching Luminous, an offshoot of the Witches of Cottage Grove, perform a mesmerizing light show.
At around 5:30 p.m., people congregated in the square to see Santa and Mrs. Claus arrive in a big red firetruck. With their help and a countdown from the crowd, the lights on the tree lit up, but not for long, for the Grinch was close behind and snatched up the cord to the Christmas lights. As fast as they were on, the lights went out.
CRAIG STROBECK PHOTOS / THE CHRONICLE
Mayor Candace Solesbee corralled the kiddos and formed a circle around the tree. She asked for their Christmas magic to help relight the now dark lumber. As the local choirs sang “Welcome Christmas,” also known as “Dahoo Dores”, the tree was lit again, seemingly from the magic of Christmas.
At the museum
Around the same time, the Cottage Grove History Museum hosted its 12th annual Stained Glass and Candlelight Holiday. At 147 N. H St., folks could gander at the museum’s artifacts and learn about the historical significance of the building’s stained-glass windows.
ASHLIN SANDERSON / THE CHRONICLE
The octagonal building houses eight unique stained-glass windows. The lights were dimmed inside the museum, and a spotlight shone through the outside for folks to get a clear view on the inside.
Snacks and refreshments were munched and sipped while Dana Merryday narrated an explanation of each window. The colorful stained glass lit up the walls, eliciting a few exclamations of wonder and admiration.
