Holiday season hits the region starting this week

The holiday season begins in earnest this week in this part of north-central Montana with holiday dinners Thanksgiving Day and Christmas festivities in Chinook this week.

Both Havre and Chinook are holding community Thanksgiving dinners Thursday.

The Havre Community Thankgiving Dinner is back after being canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and is a little different this year with the continued presence of the disease.

It will again be held in the St. Jude Parish Center, but will have no in-house dining. All meals will be served in take-home containers and picked up there to go.

Meals also will be delivered. People needing to call North Central Senior Citizens Center by 4 p.m. today at 406-265-5464 to order the delivery, with a maximum of two meals per delivery.

Meals will be delivered Thursday morning, and the to go meals will be served at the parish center from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., with all people required to wear a mask to enter and pick up meals.

And the community meal is on in Chinook Thursday at the Commercial Building on the Blaine County Fairgrounds from noon to 2 p.m., with deliveries starting at 11 a.m.

Meals in the Commercial Building can be dine-in or take-out, and people can call the Chinook Senior Citizens Center at 406-357-2648 and give their name, address and the number of meals desired to have a delivery made.

Then the Christmas celebrations begin, Friday in Chinook and Friday and Saturday in Havre.

In Chinook, the community is holding an all-day celebration Friday including its 26th annual Parade of Lights and its 11th annual Festival of Trees.

The trees and holiday items will be in a silent auction at First Bank of Montana from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with the Bell Choir performing there from 2-4 p.m.

Vendors will be set up in Wallner Hall from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. with Santa making an appearance there from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

A dinner will start at 5 p.m. in the Eagles Club, and the Parade of Lights will begin at 6 p.m., starting on Indiana Street.

In Havre, the Elks Lodge will be holding its fourth annual Cocktails and Crafts Show from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Lodge No. 1201, and Boys & Girls Club of the Hi-Line will hold its annual Festival of Trees fundraiser Saturday in the club starting at 7 p.m.

With the Community Christmas Dinner on once again at the Havre Eagles Club, people can start calling to request deliveries of that meal Wednesday of next week, calling the senior center at 406-265-5464 to reserve a delivery on Christmas Day.

Then more Christmas festivities hit over the weekend next week.

Saturday, Dec. 4, will see the Big Sandy Senior Center arts and crafts fair from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and the Kremlin Volunteer Fire Department annual fundraiser at Fresno Tavern from 6 p.m. to midnight.

Havre, Saturday, Dec. 4, has a slew of events set, including the town Christmas Stroll. This year, that includes vendors at Havre Holiday Village Mall and is tied in with the H. Earl Clack Memorial Museum Dinosaur Christmas, which will be in the mall outside the museum from 1-3 p.m. Santa will also be in the mall with cookies and books.

The Montana Special Olympics SubZero Superhero Polar Plunge returns Saturday in Town Square at 3 p.m.,with the annual tree lighting there starting at 5 p.m. that is followed by the Super Certificate Drawings and a brief Santa Run.

The annual Live Nativity at Van Orsdel United Methodist Church also is Dec. 4, 5-7 p.m.

And festivities and celebrations in the area continue throughout the month. To see more, check out the Hometown Christmas special section inside today's edition.