Faulkton’s Countdown to Christmas Begins Now!

The official countdown to Christmas has begun!

It’s that time of the year when everything feels electric. When we stand ready to pounce on an amazing sale, indulge in a tasty meal (or three), get those homemade cookies in the oven, lug out all the holiday decor, and trim the tree.

It’s also a great time to support our amazing community! 

When You Shop Local, You Make a HUGE Difference

Black Friday. Cyber Monday. Both are fantastic. But, don’t forget that November 29th is Small Business Saturday!

Have you ever wondered if “shop local” actually makes a difference in Faulkton?

It does! Studies have found that for every $100 spent at a locally-owned business, a whopping $73 remains in that community.

Compare that to the $43 that remains when purchasing from a corporate chain. When multiplied over and over, that $30 difference has a massive impact.

Each of those dollars support Faulkton with increased tax revenue, which helps improve our services and infrastructure while also providing jobs for folks, too.

Another perk of shopping local is that independent locally-owned businesses recirculate 48% of their revenue locally compared to 13% by corporate chains.

Small businesses are truly the heartbeat of South Dakota’s economy, making up 98.9% of all businesses and employing 216,000 people. That’s over 58% of the state’s entire workforce!

Dollar for dollar, when you shop local, you support economic growth, job creation, and one-of-a-kind restaurants and shops that add a vibrant dimension to our community.

Make a big impact this holiday season and shop small! 

Business Christmas Calendar

Speaking of which, keep an eye out in the Faulk County Record for the 2025 Business Christmas Calendar. Huge shout out to Jen for putting this together! 

The 2025 Parade of Lights

Sometimes, the best things in life begin with just a little bit of… well, parental persistence.

“My mom kept nagging at me to make the Parade of Lights my project so I put a post on Facebook for a very short notice of this parade and told people to reach out to me if they wanted to put a float entry in the parade,” said Ellie Hanson, a freshman at Faulkton School.

It didn’t take too long to realize that her mom, Kayla, had been right. Proving that sometimes parents really do know what they’re talking about.

“I was getting text messages right and left of people reaching out and wanting to help sponsor me or to put in an entry,” said Ellie. “The day of the parade, I had about fifteen people signed up. We had a free-will donation supper prior to the parade and told people to start lining up at 6:00. I went outside to line people up, and there were like thirty floats that showed up.”

The Parade became her 2024 Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) project. It earned her 2nd at State (her first time competing), which advanced her into the Nationals in Florida where she really made her mark.

The judges couldn’t believe what she had accomplished.  

“They just thought it was amazing that our town put together such an event in such a short amount of time,” she said. “At nationals, the judges probably had no clue what it's like to live in a town with a population of 800 and have the amount of support that events and teams do in our town. At nationals apparently the judges were really impressed with my event because I placed top ten and then placed second, putting me in front of the people who beat me at state.”

The lights, the frosty chill in the air, the joyous atmosphere… Who could resist? But for Ellie, the Parade of Lights also represents something even sweeter.

“I think that this was the spark that lit the fire for this community to get back together again for the holidays,” she said.

Details: Don’t miss out! The 2025 Parade of Lights will take place on December 5th. Float line up begins at 6 p.m. at 8th Avenue, S. with the parade to follow at 6:30 p.m. Hot cocoa will be served! 

Joy to the World!

Faulkton School students will be hitting all the right notes during their annual Christmas Concert, scheduled for December 9th.

Parents: Be sure to bring your own camera to capture the moment (great for those Facebook posts, too!).

Word on the street is that Santa will also be making a cameo that evening. Don’t miss it! 

Christmas at the Courthouse

Christmas tree set up will take place from December 3rd through December 10th during the hours of 8 am to 5 pm.

Are you interested in decorating a tree? Text Michelle Brand at 605.380.2973.