•5th Annual Very Merrill Christmas Card are now on sale at the Merrill Area Chamber of Commerce and at Blooming Wishes. Christmas cards, limited edition signed prints and smaller prints are also available while supplies last. Once again Ted Nicholson’s artwork was selected for the 2015 card. Ted has been the artist for the past five years and has depicted very different Merrill Christmas scenes each time. The 2015 print depicts the 125th Anniversary of Merrill’s transit system with our first trolley. As part of our 5th Anniversary card, a special 5-pack of cards is available of all five years of cards (25 cards total) plus a limited edition 8×10 of the very first print of the courthouse is also available.
•Annual Downtown Customer Appreciation – Saturday, Dec. 5: Kick-off the holiday season with great shopping specials all day long and specials for our Shop Local. Shop keepers will be serving holiday treats and the Merrill High School chorus and band students will provide Music on Main, serenading shoppers on the streets and in downtown stores in the afternoon.
•Breakfast with Santa – Saturday, Dec. 12: Start your morning by taking the kids to the Smith Center for breakfast with Santa from 8-11 a.m. Cost is $3 per person. Please register by Dec. 10 by calling 715-536-7313 and be sure to bring your camera for Santa time photos.
•Annual Lighted Christmas Parade – Saturday, Dec. 5: Begins at W. Main and State streets at 5 p.m. and ends at the Lincoln County Courthouse; 60+ lighted floats will officially kick-off the holiday season. At the end of the parade, Santa will light up the decorations on the courthouse lawn, officially ringing in the Christmas season!
•Park Lane Manor Luminaria – Saturday, Dec. 5: Immediately following the parade cross the Center Avenue Bridge and head to the Park Lane neighborhood across the street from Good Samaritan Hospital for the annual luminaria tour. Thousands of luminaries line the streets of the neighborhood. Drive through in your vehicle or take a wagon ride to view the luminaries and Christmas decorations. Stop in at Assisi Hall at Bell Tower after the ride to warm up with hot chocolate, hot cider, popcorn and cookies. A free will donation is encouraged.
•O’Tannenbaum Tour – Saturday & Sunday, Dec. 5-6: Enjoy an annual tour of decorated trees filled with magic and wonder at the O’Tannenbaum Tour at St. Stephen’s UCC Church. Plenty of fun for the family; tour the decorated Christmas trees and enter the raffles for the decorated trees, gift baskets and wreaths. Cost adults $3, 6-12 years $1, under age 5 free.
•Annual Christmas Movie – Saturday, Dec. 12: sponsored by the Merrill Optimist Club and the Cosmo Theatre. Each season the Cosmo plays a Christmas classic movie appropriate for the entire family. Cost is the donation of a non-perishable food item. Times to be announced.
•Christmas Window Give-away sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce Promotions Committee will take place at the old Thelmas Shop in downtown Merrill. Raffle tickets will be available at the Chamber, Courtside Furniture and Ye Olde Sweet Shoppe. Tickets go on sale Dec. 1 and the winner will win the entire display window compliments of Merrill businesses.
•Annual Lincoln County Humane Society Christmas Tree Lot located at Skippers Family Restaurant. Quality wreaths go on sale Nov. 21 and trees go on sale Nov. 28. Open during normal business hours. All proceeds donated.