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Santa prepares to throw the switch turning on the lights of the Community Christmas tree Saturday at Havre's Town Square.
People take off down Third Avenue in Havre Saturday during the Santa Run before the community tree lighting festivities at Town Square.
The Havre communtiy Christmas tree stands lit Saturday at Town Square in Havre.
People gathered along Fourth Avenue and on Town Square to usher in the Christmas season with two events that have become local traditions, the third annual Santa Run and the Community Christmas Tree Lighting.
Both activities are sponsored by the Havre Area Chamber of Commerce.
Runners wearing Christmas Sweaters, iconic red Santa hats and, in one case, a full snowman costume started their run at 4:30 p.m on Fourth Avenue in downtown Havre, a portion of which was cordoned off from traffic.
A man in full Santa garb led the runners in a modified golf cart outfitted to resemble a slay festooned with tinsel and white Christmas lights.
The run is sponsored by BNSF Railways. Runners make the half mile jaunt down Fourth Avenue and back.
"We just started it because we thought it would be fun," said Debbie Vandeberg, executive director of the Chamber.
Prizes were awarded for fastest male, fastest female, fastest youth, best Santa, best adult costume and best youth costume.
Adults received a Chamber gift card and youths a gift certificate to North Star Athletics.
After the run, spectators gathered at Town Square for the Chamber's Community Christmas Tree Lighting.
Families and individuals wandered about or stood talking in groups while the Salvation Army served up free hot chocolate to people, and traditional Christmas music was pumped out of a pair of speakers.
Allen "Woody" Woodwick of Havre said he doesn't make it to the tree lighting every year, though he does whenever he can.
"It's just a good way for a lot of people to get together and visit and just kind of be part of the community," Woodwick said of the event.
Isaac Klidworth, 3 and his sister Hannah, 2, and others were eager to see Santa Claus.
The Havre Hi-Liters, a Havre High School student chorus led the crowd in several Christmas songs, including "Santa Claus is Coming to Town."
Santa and Mrs. Claus then appeared and after a few words to the crowd he pulled a lever dressed in tinsel which lit up the tree.
Children and adults alike the took part in drawings for prizes provided by Chamber-member businesses before children lined up to pose for pictures with the Clauses.
Martin Holt of Havre has played Santa Claus at the event for the past five or six years. He said adults often forget the feeling of joy that Santa Claus brings to young people.
"So it's really wonderful to see sort of the magic, still," Holt said.
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