Visitors packed 4th Street on Sunday, Dec. 7, for the annual La Center Christmas Festival, filling the road from Aspen Avenue to Cedar Avenue with families, lights and a full slate of holiday events.
Crowds lined up for many holiday-themed events from ornament decorating, a gingerbread house contest, a nativity, a petting zoo and visits with Santa. The Santa Stride 5K run and walk, which began on 4th Street, kept the street buzzing even before the evening program began.
Just like every year, the 5 p.m. Christmas tree lighting and fireworks ceremony was a major highlight.
Before the ceremony began this year, Mayor Tom Strobehn took a moment to honor Bryan Miller, a longtime La Center resident known for transforming his house into a beacon of holiday lights each winter. Miller died in August. His family received a dedication award from the La Center Christmas Festival Association.
Strobehn spoke to the crowd about Miller’s role in shaping the spirit of the season for decades.
“I'd like to recognize someone who is no longer with us and whose presence is deeply missed, a person whose generosity ran community deep and whose holiday spirit was like no other,” he said.
Miller lit up his home with increasingly extravagant displays for about 25 years, a tradition he expanded after his mother’s passing. He would begin decorating around Halloween so his house would glow in time for the holidays, remaining lit until New Year’s Eve. Residents often drove by just to take in the sight.
During the interview after the event, Strobehn recalled watching Miller decorate for two decades and said the tribute felt fitting.
“I mean, here's a man that decorated his house so his mom can see it from heaven and then turned around and dressed up as the Grinch and brought in snow and just entertained all the people for the entire Christmas season, so you know that's what Christmas is about,” he said.
Mayor Strobehn also spoke words of remembrance for those who died in Pearl Harbor, which took place the same day 84 years ago.
When the clock hit 5 p.m., the Christmas tree lit up and fireworks cracked over the festival, drawing cheers from the packed street.
“The fireworks are something special, and one of the reasons they're something special is because we just don't do them in the county anymore,” he said. “They symbolize several different things, and at Christmas, it's glory to God … I'm not a deeply religious person, but I have my beliefs and this is one of the ways that we express them here. It turned out amazing again this year.”
Throughout the night, the La Center High School Select Treble Choir and the Brass Ensemble performed Christmas music, their voices and instruments echoing through the festival area. Strobehn said watching local kids grow up and return to sing each winter remains one of his favorite parts.
“You get to see the kids, and what's great is that. You watch them when they're a little bit younger and as they grow and turn into young adults, you get to see how their paths in life are going. To see them up there singing and coming together like they are right now, it’s absolutely amazing,” he said.
The festival committee’s weekend work started days earlier with Santa’s house calls on Friday, an annual volunteer project that brings Santa directly to La Center neighborhoods. The mayor said it remains one of the most meaningful efforts of the weekend.
“We've had them sprint up to cars, the kids jump up three ft in the air… You just spread the joy and then the families come out, and they give donations if they can afford it,” he said.
Strobehn closed the interview with a holiday message.
“I just hope that people stop arguing, come together and know there are a lot of people out there that don't have anybody. And so if they know their neighbors or their friends are alone, just reach out and give them a call to check on them, make sure they're good because holidays are rough on people,” he said.
