After many months filled with anticipation, the Christmas season has returned once more, back and better than ever. To kick off the holiday season the annual “Deck the Falls” event took place Saturday, November 27th in downtown Cannon Falls. This event gave everyone an action-packed day filled with fun; guaranteed to put anyone in the spirit of giving. The event consisted of a variety of events with an enjoyable parade, the lighting of the Christmas tree, and late-night fireworks headlining the day. 

An array of local businesses pitched in to make the event extra special, helping to spread holiday cheer throughout the town. Santa and Mrs. Claus could be seen stopping at some of the hottest spots in town and strolling down the streets, visiting people throughout the day. The Minnesota Honors Society from Cannon Falls High School volunteered to ring the bell for the Salvation Army, filling the streets with the high-pitched chime of the musical instruments from the early morning through the late afternoon. 

Christmas is a time for giving and joy, and this year’s “Deck the Falls” event perfectly showcased this idea. A variety of groups and individuals played a pivotal role in making this event successful. Senior Kendall Lawless was one of the many people who participated in this year’s parade. Kendall was one of the cast members of this years’ “Frozen Jr.” musical, and couldn’t resist the opportunity to participate in the parade as her character saying that “I got the opportunity to play Anna this year in our high school’s musical ‘Frozen Jr.,” so when I was asked if I wanted to sing as Anna on a float, of course, I had to say yes.” Kendall is one of the many who participated in the “Deck the Falls” parade and helped to make the day so special for everyone.

 For many, “Deck the Falls” is the perfect start to the Christmas season. After last year’s Christmas season was brought to a halt due to the pandemic, people have come back more excited for Christmas than ever before. Because of this increase in Christmas spirit, this year’s “Deck the Falls” event was highly anticipated. Senior Bianca Caputo volunteered during the event to ring the bell with the Minnesota Honor Society group as well as participate in the parade. Bianca discussed the sense of community and togetherness an event as this one can spread throughout a community sharing that “This event really just gets everyone together and reminds us that we are a community, especially after the last few years, and Christmas is really about being together.” Many others have echoed this sentiment. The holidays are about being with others and making the most of the time together. This year’s “Deck the Falls” event gave everyone a chance to do just that: reconnect and spend time with each other. 

In the month of December, the Christmas spirit is infectious throughout the town. No one is safe from the season of giving and its holiday cheer, and this has never been more true than it was the day of the “Deck the Falls” event. Just by walking down the street, anyone could sense the joy and anticipation that follows the month of December every year. This event managed to successfully provide a feeling of community togetherness and joy into the celebration of the beginning of the Christmas season. The “Deck the Falls” event truly is the perfect start to the “most wonderful time of the year,” and will hopefully be a Christmas tradition that sticks around for many years to come.