Snowball drop returns to Colfax Country Christmas

COLFAX — A Christmas event centered around tradition brought back one of its most beloved events this year. The return of the Snowball Drop drew hundreds to Colfax Country Christmas Saturday.

Children and adults alike raised their hands in the air and tilted their heads to the sky as “snowballs” fell down. The snowballs were actually white ping pong balls with numbers written on them dropped from a bucket and crane —still people awaited the drop with plastic bags and buckets in hand.

Certain numbers coordinated with certain prizes, according to Colfax Main Street Board Member and Promotions Committee Chairperson Justin Niceswanger.

“We have a lot of people and downtown businesses who donate prizes,” Niceswanger said. “It looked like a good crowd for it, there were two drops one for ages 10 and below and then 11 and above.”

More than 100 attendees turned out to the snowball drop at 4 p.m. followed by Santa’s arrival in a horse-drawn carriage. People then dispersed to explore various Christmas-themed festivities.

“It’s looking really good — a nice turn out for the snowball drop, and carriage rides are always popular, so I think this is going to be a hoppin’ place for the rest of the night,” Niceswanger said.

Endless activities were going on for the rest of the evening including a potato bar at the Colfax Senior Citizens Center, Letters to Santa, meeting Santa, a scavenger hunt and checking out local businesses.

“Letters to Santa is where kids can write to him and ask for all sorts of toys and whatever else they have on their minds along with business open houses,” Niceswanger said. “It’s pretty traditional this year, we are doing the scavenger hunt again where people have to get clues from different places and then they can drop that off with Main Street for a chance to win some Colfax bucks in a drawing.”

As the evening got darker, street lights along with candles lit the way for the carriage ride route. On the other side of town at Amanda Utz Photography, a line of people waiting to talk to Santa stretched down the block.

Niceswanger said the event is really centered around Santa.

“I think it all goes back to Santa, and I have two young kids and my oldest is really excited about seeing Santa again and talking with him, so that’s always great for the little ones,” Niceswanger said. “The carriage rides are also really special too, I would say I have two favorites, that would be Santa’s arrival and also the carriage rides.”

Santa wouldn’t be Santa without his helpers. Tammy Wickett, the assistant cheerleading coach at Colfax-Mino Junior High, said 10 cheerleaders were given the job to be “little elves” for the night.

The students handed out candy canes, sang Christmas carols and offered friendly smiles during Colfax’s Country Christmas.

“They are really representing our school tonight,” Wickett said. “I have gotten positive feedback in the past and we hope to continue doing this every year.”

Colfax Main Street began planning the Christmas event following Mineral Springs Days in August.

“It took a lot of preparation, and we have a lot of great volunteers on the promotions committee, but we are always looking for more too,” Niceswanger said. “There is a little break after tonight and then we will be talking again about what are we doing in the summertime, so it always cycles into the next thing.”

Contact Kayla Singletary at 641-792-3121 ext. 6533 or ksingletary@newtondailynews.com