Downtown Main Street raising funds for new snowflake decorations

As spring approaches, Red Wing has a chance to keep the winter spirit alive.

Since 2008, 88 illuminated snowflake decorations have adorned the light poles downtown. In the nearly two decades since they were first put up, the human-made snowflakes have seen a fair share of real snow, in addition to wind, rain and general wear and tear, so now local nonprofit Red Wing Downtown Main Street is hoping to replace the decorations.

The city installs, stores and maintains the snowflakes, but Downtown Main Street is raising funds to purchase new ones. To make that a reality, Downtown Main Street needs $32,000, but thanks to a dollar-for-dollar matching campaign from the Downtown Philanthropic Collaborative, all donations made by the community will be doubled.

That means Downtown Main Street only needs to raise $16,000 to bring in the new decorations.

Fundraising begins March 1 and lasts the entire month. Donations can be made by mailing a check to Downtown Main Street (with the word “snowflakes” in the memo) at 419 Bush St. Red Wing, MN 55065 or by going online here.

The combined forces of the city government, Downtown Main Street and the community donations make for what City of Red Wing Planning Manager Steve Kohn calls a “unified effort to beautify downtown.”

The new snowflakes are expected to debut in November, at the 25th annual Holiday Stroll.

To celebrate “the one where the Holiday Stroll turns 25,” the flakes will be lit up on Nov. 27. Along with the usual Stroll festivities — a visit from Santa Claus, a lit-up parade — there will also be a resurrection of events from Strolls past, like the chili feed and many more.

As always, the snowflakes will remain until mid-February. Shannan Harris, a former Downtown Main Street board member who helped coordinate the original round of snowflake decorations, said she and her fellow board members liked that the decorations “didn’t just say ‘holiday’ or ‘Christmas,’” so they could foster a festive atmosphere all winter long.

Downtown Main Street would like to thank the Downtown Philanthropic Collaborative for their contributions. The Collaborative consists of local foundations Albrecht-Poss Family Foundation, Jones Family Foundation, Red Wing Area Fund and Wings Foundation.

This story originally appeared in the Red Wing Republican Eagle.