The Milford Commercial Club will be celebrating their annual kickoff to the Christmas season -- Holiday Fantasy -- with a fun weekend of events planned to thank the people who support our member businesses all year long.   Our theme is “A Home Town Holiday:  This Year Shop Here.” 

The celebration begins on Friday afternoon December 4^th at 3:30 with the Family Fun Run.  Eleven local businesses have agreed to stay open until 7:00PM Friday evening so that registered teams may visit them, perform an assigned task, and choose a numbered envelope from their stack.  Teams must sign up at the Milford Memorial Library to enter.  At 7:30PM all teams will meet at the Milford Community Center where the envelopes will be opened, revealing a playing card.  Using the playing cards (up to a maximum of eleven) that each team had accumulated, prizes will be awarded to the best five-card hands.  Only one prize will be awarded per team.  We have the following prizes:  1 - a session and an 11 X 14 family portrait donated by Creative Photography; 2 - one large single-topping pizza per month for one year donated by Boji Junction Cenex; 3 - a family season pass donated by Horseshoe Bend Winter Recreation Area; and 4- a $50.00 gift certificate donated by Mill Creek Restaurant & Lounge (people under age 18 must be accompanied by an adult to enter). 

Friday from 5:00PM - 8:00PM there will be a cookie walk at the Union Memorial Church.  During the same time, the Parade of Trees will be open at the Milford Memorial Library.  Refreshments will be provided by Land Mark Products and there will be entertainment by Route 86 Music during the Parade of Trees. 

Friday evening from 7:00PM - 10:00PM there will be a dance at the Okoboji Middle School in Arnolds Park   Admission is $5.00 and a non-perishable item for the Dickinson County Upper Des Moines food bank.  This is a fundraiser for the Okoboji Hoofbeats 4-H Club.   A signed permission slip is required.  They are available at area schools and will also be available at the door.

Saturday, December 5^th, from 9:00AM - 2:00PM the Union Memorial Cookie Walk continues.  At 10:00AM the NEW Veggie Tale movie ‘Saint Nicholas:  A Story of Joyful Giving’ is being shown at the New Journey Community Church.  Admission is free.  Also at 10:00AM the Parade of Trees and Friends of the Library Foundation Open House will be going on at the library.   From 11:30AM to 1:00 PM the library will host their children’s activities featuring pictures with Santa (don’t forget your cameras!), crafts for kids, and stories with Mrs. Claus.  Refreshments will be provided by the Friends of the Library Foundation.

The annual chili/soup feed will begin at the Milford Community Center at noon.  This event is free and open to everyone.   At approximately 12:30PM the raffle drawing will begin.  Don’t forget to purchase those raffle tickets for a chance to win one (or more) of these wonderful prizes!!  The grand prizes provided by the Milford Commercial Club this year are $500.00 in groceries; $300.00 in gasoline, and $200.00 in Milford Bucks.  Klaussner Home Furnishings has donated a beautiful leather recliner along with over 150 other prizes that have been donated by local businesses.  Tickets are available at various businesses in town and will also be available at the Community Center on Saturday. 

From 1:00 - 4:00PM there will be a bake/craft sale at Heritage Landings.  This is a fundraiser to purchase a flag pole for their courtyard.

The Okoboji Elementary Parent Organization is hosting a Holiday Bazaar at the Elementary School on Sat. Dec. 5th from 10 -4. There are over 25 vendors. You can find anything you need for the young and the old on your Christmas shopping list and support your school at the same time. There is also a raffle with many baskets to choose from. Santa will also be there to get your list from 2-4. Stop by and support OES!!

Vendors include: Mary and Ken's BBQ, Tupperware, Mona Vie, Diva Girl, UsBorne Books, Longaberger, Avon, Pampered Chef, Bow-Grace-ous, Shaklee, Advocare, Scentsy, Mother Goose, Tastefully Simple, Pleasant Valley Creations, Cookie Lee, Mary Kay, Okobojinize, Camp Foster, Uppercase Living, Creative Memories, Isagenix, Dove Chocolate Discoveries, Premier Designs, Wooden Crafts/Gina Markel, Soy Candles by Julie, Bay View Garden and Gifts, and Inches A-Weigh.

Also at both 1:00PM and 4:00PM the Pioneer Theatre will be showing their annual Holiday Merchant Movie: Monsters v. Aliens.  Leave the kids and spend some time shopping the holiday specials at your local Milford merchants.

Take advantage of the Milford Commercial Club member businesses’ generosity!!  Bring your whole family and enjoy one - or all - of the various activities planned this weekend. We hope to see you there!!