MINNESOTA, USA — This isn't a typical holiday season, but there are still plenty of COVID-safe events and activities to help people feel festive.
Organizers at holiday events across the metro are going all in to save this holiday season, despite a few setbacks.
The team behind the first annual Glow Holiday Festival at the State Fairgrounds had to switch things up at the last minute to make their event align with new orders put in place by the governor.
"The show was originally planned to be a walkthrough," said Adam Wendle, with the Glow Holiday Festival.
Instead, cars filled with families looking to make the most of this unconventional holiday season rolled through Thursday night, after converting the event into a drive-thru gathering.
"We had firepits for s'mores, we were going to sell s'mores kits, we had stages that we were going to have live acts," said Wendle. "We were able to shift gears pretty quickly."
In Shakopee, things won't look all that different for the second annual Sever's Holiday Lights drive through experience.
"We feel very fortunate to look at the silver lining that we had this model established in 2019, and here we are in our second season," said Nicola Peterson.
All coming at a time of the year when families are just looking for any opportunity to experience a sense of normalcy.
"Peoples lives have been upended," said Wendle.
"It's awesome I think because we're still able to enjoy the holidays together right and just be together," said a mom in a car full of kids, as they passed through the State Fairgrounds.
Togetherness seems to be a reoccurring theme for so many in 2020. Families quarantined together, small businesses pulling together to survive, and that's what organizers of these events say they want to see happen, while keeping safe in doing so.