Holidazzle attendees enjoy free skating in Loring Park during the month-long celebration. Free rental skates are available in the warming house, but patrons are encouraged to bring their own. (Natalie Hall/TommieMedia)
Faribault Woolen Mill Co. sells high-quality wool blankets, scarves and cup cozies at its Holidazzle stand. It is one of the last vertical woolen mills in America. (Natalie Hall/TommieMedia)
Littlest Pancake worker Brian Sorensen flips and dishes up poffertjes (puf-er-gees), an unsweetened Dutch buckwheat pancake topped with various sauces. The small pancakes were used as a Eucharistic host by Dutch monks; the monks converted to buckwheat during the French Revolution when there was a shortage of wheat flour. (Natalie Hall/TommieMedia)
Holidazzle in Loring Park features free ice skating, movies, carriage rides, fireworks and a variety of food, drink and local product vendors. “Holidazzle is all about the people, places and products that make our local scene so special,” the website said. (Natalie Hall/TommieMedia)
Local coffee shop Spyhouse serves its normal drinks and a few Holidazzle specials like the peppermint mocha and peppermint hot chocolate. Local restaurants will have booths at the Holidazzle throughout the season; Breadsmith, Kramarczuk’s Sausages and Sociable Cider Werks are several of the dining and drinking options at this year’s Holidazzle. (Natalie Hall/TommieMedia)
The Käthe Wohlfahrt building houses ornate Christmas decorations and hand-carved wooden holiday scenes. The Käthe Wohlfahrt building was designed like the traditional German holiday markets and most of the products are authentic, made in Germany, a worker said. (Natalie Hall/TommieMedia)
The crowd counted down to the inaugural lighting of Loring Park on Friday, the first night of this year’s Holidazzle. The Holidazzle Parade ran on Nicollet Mall for 21 years before becoming the Holidazzle Village and finally became the current Holidazzle in Loring Park. (Natalie Hall/TommieMedia)
Coco Gott pulls on the rope to raise the howling wolf’s head with the help of her dad. The interactive wolf and the moose sculptures, made from recycled materials by Minneapolis artists and children, are new to the Holidazzle this year. (Natalie Hall/TommieMedia)
The Minnesota Chorale sings at Friday’s lighting ceremony. There is no admission to Holidazzle and the activities are free because “We want it to be a community asset for everyone to enjoy,” Parks and Rec Commissioner at Large Meg Forney said. (Natalie Hall/TommieMedia)
The holiday festivities commenced with the lighting ceremony and a fireworks display, a showing of the winter classic, Miracle, followed. “This is how our park should be used every year,” Forney said during the lighting ceremony. (Natalie Hall/TommieMedia)
The second annual Holidazzle celebration in Loring Park features classic holiday activities for all ages, local vendors and new additions, like the moose and wolf sculptures.
Photographer Natalie Hall captured the festivities of the opening night of Holidazzle 2016.
Natalie Hall can be reached at hall0224@stthomas.edu.