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Holiday spirit winds its way through downtown Traer

Annual parade, Union Carolers’ performance featured

A merry band of elves waves to the crowd from the Traer Chamber of Commerce trolley along Second Street during the community’s annual Lighted Parade on Dec. 2. PHOTO BY SOREN M. PETERSON
Santa Claus rings in the holiday season and leads the annual Lighted Parade from his perch on a Traer Fire Dept. truck last Friday in downtown Traer. PHOTO BY SOREN M. PETERSON
Another version of Santa Claus waves to the crowd along Second Street from the Champion Enterprises float – which took second place in the parade contest – last Friday evening in downtown Traer. PHOTO BY SOREN M. PETERSON
The Traer Chamber of Commerce trolley makes its way down Second Street last Friday evening as part of the annual Lighted Parade. PHOTO BY SOREN M. PETERSON
A young family waves to parade-goers from their float featuring the manager scene during the Traer Chamber of Commerce annual Lighted Parade held last Friday along Second Street. PHOTO BY SOREN M. PETERSON
Members of the Traer Sesquicentennial Committee participate in the annual Lighted Parade held in downtown Traer on Dec. 2 from their festive and unique float. PHOTO BY SOREN M. PETERSON
One of the most colorful and bright floats of Traer’s 2022 Lighted Parade courtesy of AWE Auto Service makes its way down Second Street on Friday, Dec. 2. The AWE float took first in the parade contest. PHOTO BY SOREN M. PETERSON
Santa’s Workshop festively lit along Second Street last Friday evening in downtown Traer ahead of the annual Lighted Parade. The workshop was moved from its location last year in Taylor Park to the empty green space between Hometown Foods and the Memorial Building on Second Street. PHOTO BY SOREN M. PETERSON
PHOTO BY SOREN M. PETERSON
Santa and Mrs. Claus along with three of their helper elves pose for a photo inside the recently spiffed up Traer Chamber of Commerce Santa’s Workshop located adjacent to Hometown Foods following the annual Lighted Parade on Dec. 2. PHOTO BY SOREN M. PETERSON
The Union Carolers, directed by vocal music teacher Casey Tecklenburg, perform to a full room in the Kupka Cultural Center in the Traer Public Library basement on Friday, Dec. 2 as part of Traer’s annual Holiday Happenings weekend. Pictured singing front row (l-r) Madison Martin, Taylor Baltes, Melanie Yuska, Lauren Youngblut, Clara Carlson, Lorelei Hinebaugh, Erica Hoppe, Katelyn Jolley, and Ella Grote; back row (l-r) Zakary Reed, Daniel Gray, Samuel Klein, Hayden Spore, Matthew Carlson, Austin Martin, Asher Beermann, Landen Reed, and Matthew Medina. PHOTO BY SOREN M. PETERSON
The Union Carolers including (front row, l-r) Taylor Baltes, Melanie Yuska, Lauren Youngblut, Clara Carlson, and Lorelei Hinebaugh entertain a packed house in the Traer Public Library Kupka Cultural Center on Friday, Dec. 2. The group performed a variety of mostly traditional Christmas carols for approximately 20 minutes. PHOTO BY SOREN M. PETERSON
The Union Carolers from Union High School in La Porte City perform in the Traer Public Library Kupka Cultural Center on Friday, Dec. 2 ahead of the annual Lighted Parade. Pictured singing front row (l-r) Madison Martin, Taylor Baltes, Melanie Yuska, Lauren Youngblut, Clara Carlson, Lorelei Hinebaugh, Erica Hoppe, Katelyn Jolley, and Ella Grote; back row (l-r) Zakary Reed, Daniel Gray, Samuel Klein, Hayden Spore, Matthew Carlson, Austin Martin, Asher Beermann, Landen Reed, and Matthew Medina. PHOTO BY SOREN M. PETERSON
PHOTO BY SOREN M. PETERSON
The Union Carolers high school a cappella group gets into the spirit of the season as they perform to a packed house on Friday, Dec. 2 at the Traer Public Library as part of the community’s annual Holiday Happenings weekend. PHOTO BY SOREN M. PETERSON

With the soothing voices of Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney performing the 1954 tune ‘Snow’ projecting from the downtown speakers, the Traer Chamber of Commerce’s annual Lighted Parade made its way down Second Street last Friday night.

Although slightly smaller in size this year than last year’s parade, there were still several versions of Santa perched atop a variety of floats – including a Traer Fire truck – waving merrily to both the young and old alike along the street.

Among the dozen or so parade entries, the Chamber’s trolley – decked out in festive finery – trundled along near the front, hosting a jolly group of Santa’s elves waving and calling out to the crowd.

The weather – while quite mild and calm about an hour before the parade began – started to turn blustery as predicted shortly after the parade kicked off, toppling many of the battery-operated lanterns resting on the Second Street sidewalks.

Just an hour earlier, the a cappella high school group Union Carolers from La Porte City directed by vocal music teacher Casey Tecklenburg serenaded a full house in the basement of the Traer Public Library.

Under the spotlights of the Kupka Cultural Center, the group performed a variety of mostly traditional Christmas carols for roughly 20 minutes starting with the Welsh carol “Deck the Halls.”

While performing the Ukrainian song “Carol of the Bells” – made eternally popular following the release of the 1988 Manheim Steamroller Christmas album – the carolers swayed back and forth in an animated fashion.

“Let It Snow” was perhaps the group’s best performance of the evening, but their doo-wop version of “Rudolph the Rednosed Reindeer” seemed to garner the heartiest applause from the many children in the audience.

The Union Carolers closed out their Traer performance – one of roughly 50 they will undertake this season across the Cedar Valley – with the British carol “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.”

Following the parade, the holiday lights in Taylor Park were officially switched on for the 2022-23 season, while Santa and Mrs. Claus welcomed visitors to Santa’s Workshop – now located between Hometown Foods and the Memorial Building – as part of the community’s Holiday Happenings weekend of festivities.

Let the season begin.