To growth in the last year at Wintergreen Natural Foods.

Congratulations to Wintergreen Natural Foods, which has seen an increase in sales since July 2017, along with increases in the number of products available to customers in the store.

The cooperative’s members only four years ago had a meeting to determine if the store should remain open but in the years since has seen a resurgence.

Wintergreen, which was founded in the 1970s, offers fresh, bulk and packaged products and recently began offering fresh, cold lunch options, too.

We’re grateful the cooperative is in Albert Lea, and we hope it only continues to grow in the future. We encourage people to check it out.

 

 

To the new, fun holiday lights show known as The Carter Christmas Lights Show.

We’re excited to see the new lights show at 1905 Brookside Drive, which includes an estimated 34,000 LED lights.

The show has previously been in Austin for four years, until the the home’s owners, Mike and Freddy Carter, moved to Albert Lea in June.

Visitors can tune their car radios to 93.5 FM and will see and hear the lights show set to Mariah Carey’s “Lil Snowman,” a remix of Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” Simple Plan’s “Christmas Every Day” and Lindsey Stirling’s “Carol of the Bells.”

Donations collected at the show will go to the Spruce up Albert Lea for Christmas holiday lights campaign.

Thanks to the Carters for bringing some extra holiday cheer to the community.

 

 

To Black Friday sales creeping up earlier and earlier on Thanksgiving.

It’s bad enough that Black Friday sales have been pushed up to Thursday evening in recent years, but this year some of the sales started as early as 2 and 3 p.m. Thursday afternoon.

It’s sad to see shopping infringe on time meant to be spent being grateful for family and friends.

We wish retailers would reconsider moving the opening of these sales back at least into the evening, if not the next morning.

 

 

To the people organizing the Shop Albert Lea initiative.

Thanks to the leaders of the Albert Lea Economic Development Agency, the Freeborn County Arts Initiative and the Albert Lea-Freeborn County Chamber of Commerce, who helped plan the Small Business Saturday Passport Tour and Shop Albert Lea movement, which is encouraging people to support local stores this holiday season.

The initiative highlights all the great businesses in the community and even rewards community members with potential prizes for choosing to stop in at the businesses in town. There will be chances to win $100, $75 or $50 in Chamber Bucks.

Now it’s up to residents to take advantage of the opportunity.

The passport tour starts Saturday. Passports can be picked up from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at the Freeborn County Arts Initiative building or at the Albert Lea Convention and Visitors Bureau after. Let’s make this a great season for our local stores.