Community Spirit Shines As Santa Comes To Town

The line to visit Santa stretched nearly to the door of the fair building on Friday night. But the jolly ole elf was worth the wait. After all, he hadn’t made a trip to Stanton in about six years.
Thanks to the teamwork of the Downtown Business Coalition, Santa Claus was coaxed into visiting at the end of the community’s first lighted parade.
“It was Pat Larson,” Andrew Hoehne said after Friday night’s festivities. “She got this all going.”
While Larson came up with idea of the parade, more suggestions followed, including having Santa make an appearance at the end.
Afterward Hoehne and Tim Larson admitted the evening exceeded their expectations — much like every holiday event they’ve been a part of this year from the Easter Egg hunt to the downtown trick or treating for Halloween.
“It’s way better than I would have ever guessed,” Larson said.
Both men are also businesses owners — multiple at that. Between Hoehne with the Greenhorn and the Window &
Door Store and Larson with Teeco and Stanton Hardware, neither have extra tine on their hands. But that hasn’t stopped them from being active with the Downtown Revitalization or the Downtown Business Coalition.
After all, keeping family events in Stanton keeps families in town, and families need local businesses.
That support goes full circle, Hoehne and Larson said.
“We want to show everyone what Stanton has to off er. We want them to be proud of it,” Larson said. “Like you keep saying, ‘This is our Stanton.’
But it wasn’t just Hoehne or the Larson family helping with the event.
The Stanton Health Center was front and center helping, as were students from the school.
There were also businesses with multiple entries into the parade.
The Stanton County Public Power District closed the parade with one of the biggest entries of all as their truck was full of lights.
“Thanks to everyone for coming out,” Hoehne said. “Thanks for all of the support. It’s fun being able to do this in our town.”