With only 10 days until Christmas day, here are 10 local ways you can generate more holiday cheer for your family and the Devils Lake community.
1. Tour Christmas Lights
Grab coffee or hot chocolate and maybe even a baked treat from one of our local coffee shops and hit the town looking at Christmas decorations from your vehicle. From now until December 27th you can stop at the Devils Lake Chamber or visit their Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/devilslakechamber) for a Let it Glow map and instructions on how to vote for your favorite house. Another tip is to create a scavenger hunt for your kids to check off as you drive around.
2. Design a Beautiful Holiday Porch Pot with Friends
Grab your friends or spouse and create a holiday porch pot at Devils Lake Greenhouse. They have a great variety of items to design your unique creation. This is a great activity to do and work on your creative skills. Visit their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/devilslakegreenhouse for more details or to arrange a time.
3. Donate Food or Volunteer at the Hope Center
Volunteer or drop off food and household items at the Hope Center. The holidays are a great time for your family to give back and the Hope Center is a great option to support people in our community. Visit their Facebook page for more details. https://www.facebook.com/hopecenterdl
4. Buy a Gift from a Giving or Angel Tree
Do some local shopping for someone off an Angel or Giving Tree. There are several angel or giving trees around town including Marketplace Ford, Leevers, St. Michael’s Furniture, and more. Simply stop in and pick a card from the tree that will contain details on age and wish requests for the recipient then shop for your gift, wrap it up, and return is back to the tree.
5. A Holiday Family Dinner
Spend a nice holiday meal with your family prepared by one of our amazing local restaurants. Many restaurants are having specials for the holidays including Proz Lakeside at the Cove where you can bring in a letter to Santa and receive a free kids meal when an adult entrée is purchased. If you are visiting the restaurants for dine in, many are decorated for the holidays!
6. Bake some Holiday Treats
Head to the grocery stores and stock up on baking and decorating supplies and spend an afternoon or evening backing holiday treats with your family. This is a great tradition for the whole family.
7. Drive, Hike or Participant in the Christmas Bird Count at White Horse Hill
Hop in the car and take a drive up to White Horse Hill, the holidays are a great time to see all the pretty snowfall and if the day is nice enough you can hit the hiking trails. The auto tour in the wintertime is a perfect chance to spot some animals.
You can also join the Friends of White Horse Hill for the annual Christmas bird count on Saturday December 19th. It will take place within the 15-mile diameter official Audubon CBC count circle around Devils Lake. Observers may participate by car, on foot, or by watching bird feeders. Interested parties should email colleen_graue@fws.gov for more information or to sign up. Information will be sent to you with instructions for the count. All information, maps, and routes will be assigned prior to count day.
8. View the Star of Bethlehem (Christmas Star)
On December 21st, two planets will appear nearly aligned, resulting in an event that hasn’t happened in 800 years. Grab some hot chocolate and head outside just after sunset for an attempt to view the Christmas star. You will need to look fast as both planets will set shortly after sunset.
9. Salvation Army Bell Ringing
Spend some time with your family ringing the Salvation Army bell for charity. The bell is located at many local businesses in Devils Lake. Contact the local Salvation Army at 662-6069 to coordinate a date and time.
10. Visit a Museum
Take a stroll through the Lake Region Heritage Center. The holidays are a great time to visit a local museum while they are decorated for the holidays. Spend a morning or afternoon with the family exploring local history. Visit the Heritage Museum Facebook page for more details: https://www.facebook.com/LakeRegionHeritage.