‘Merry and Bright’ Main Street Mingle Saturday in Lovell

The Lovell Area Chamber of Commerce hopes to light up the night as the Chamber kicks off the 2023 Christmas season Saturday with the annual Main Street Mingle.
After last year’s frigid event, this year’s weather promises to be much better, with the National Weather Service calling for mostly sunny conditions and a high of 53 on Saturday.
This year’s theme is “A Merry and Bright Christmas,” and businesses and residents are encouraged to dress up their windows and light up their homes to create a grand display of lights, Chamber manager Linda Morrison said.
 The Town of Lovell has also created new lighted wreaths that will line Main Street.
“We’ve been talking for several years about lighting up more of Main Street and what lights do for everybody’s spirits,” Morrison said. “It just makes you feel happier when you see Christmas lights on anybody’s residence or business. It doesn’t matter how large or small of a display. And with the town purchasing new wreaths and putting so much effort into the parks to make them welcoming, especially the mural park we use for the Mingle, the theme just fell into place easily – A Merry and Bright Christmas.
“Nobody ever gets tired of lights. There’s a long tradition in our family to go throughout the communities and see lights, and I’m sure many others have that same tradition. That’s why we’re inviting the residents to light up their homes.”
It all begins with the Dauntless Dash sponsored by Club Dauntless. Participants can register at 9 a.m. at the Lovell Fire Hall, and the races – a mile and 5K – will begin at 9:30.
Also kicking off that morning is the sixth annual Lovell Craft Bazaar, which runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the community center.
A free movie -- “The Polar Express” -- will be shown at the Hyart Theatre at 11:15 a.m., and those attending are asked to bring a non-perishable food item to be donated to the Lovell Food Pantry.
Soon after the movie ends Santa Claus will arrive in Lovell by a horse-drawn wagon around 1 p.m., then greet children at the chamber of commerce office from 1 to 4 p.m.
Meanwhile, the Lovell-Kane Area Museum will host a chili cookoff and tasting from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., and rolls and soup by the bowl will be sold at the museum during that time.
There will also be activities at the Lovell Branch Library during the day, and Robert Boyd Steward American Legion Post 11 will greet the public at the Downtown Veterans Park from 1 to 3 p.m.
Morrison said the Chamber office also has a good selection of “really nice” coats to give away, including a number of kids coats.
Stores up and down Main Street will offer in-store specials from 1 to 5 p.m., and people will begin to gather at the Downtown Mural Park at Main and Nevada at 4 p.m., when hot chocolate and cookies will be served by the LHS Skills USA program and the FFA chapter as a service project. The refreshments are sponsored by the Town of Lovell.
“We’re having more things downtown like with the veterans there,” Morrison said. “I think it’s so appropriate that they are at the park, being veterans, because whenever we are aware of the sacrifices that have been made, it makes us more grateful.
“The library will have drawings, and every kid gets a book. And they have some wonderful prizes to give away, so everyone will want to take their kids to the library, take themselves to the library. They’ve been working so hard for this giving feeling of the Mingle. The library is such an important part of our community. Folks need to be reminded of the great selection that we have there.”
The Pryor Mountain Wild Mustang Center will have a Merry Mustang Mingle Store at 215 East Main, next to the Mural Park, from 1 to 4 p.m.
Morrison said the Chamber is putting a strong emphasis on shopping locally this Christmas season.
“Small businesses are important to our community, and we encourage people with this Mingle to be aware of the small businesses and make more of an effort to purchase locally where you can,” she said. “That’s the whole purpose of the chamber bucks program – to support our businesses. We want them to thrive. I think we should have the motto ‘Buy at home when you can,’ and if we etch that in our minds it will pay off.”
Tree lighting
The annual Christmas tree lighting event will be held at Mural Park at 5 p.m. featuring Lovell Elementary School singers, drawings for $1,000 in Chamber Bucks and Santa Claus lighting the tree. Morrison said about half of the drawings will be for a “must be present to win” entry forms available at the park.
“Get there early enough to have cookies and hot chocolate, enjoy the singing and to sign up for the ‘need to be present to win’ drawings,” Morrison encouraged.
Some businesses will offer late-night shopping from 5:30 to 7 p.m., and the Bible Church will host family activities from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Another $400 in Chamber Bucks will be drawn on Small Business Saturday – Saturday, Nov. 25 – from cans located at businesses around town, Morrison said.
For more information, contact Morrison at the Chamber office at 548-7552.