Submitted by Jeff Swanson, co-owner Woodville GarageBar
WOODVILLE, WI – The 2nd annual Woodville Julefest Celebration took place on Saturday, December 7, 2024, and the “Biggest, little small-town holiday party in Wisconsin” did not disappoint. It literally lit up the Village with the traditional Tree lighting ceremony that ignites the holiday lighting throughout the Village of Woodville and the big fireworks display was grand!
Thousands of people turned out to enjoy the day from the “Hot Dish for Charity” in the afternoon to photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus to the much-anticipated holiday Jeep and side x side “Parade of Lights.” Nearly 40 parade units, some with large trailers, were decorated from top to bottom with lights, wreaths, decor and even multi-media videos. It really lit up Woodville!
“It’s amazing to see how the community has adopted this holiday event, and the creativity in the parade entries was impressive, becoming even more competitive this year,” said Jeff Swanson, co-owner of Woodville GarageBar and one of the creators of the Woodville JuleFest Celebration.
“I’m most proud of the community aspect of this JuleFest event, the coming together to visit with friends and neighbors, and seeing the kids excited to meet Santa, to watch the parade, the fireworks and to participate in the great big toy giveaway. We do this for the community and everything that Woodville and this community has done to support us is a testament to being part of a wonderful, Wisconsin small town,” proclaimed a smiling Swanson.
The event helped raise funds for Zion Lutheran Church’s Emergency Food pantry, another important partner in supporting and caring for families in need during the holidays, and throughout the year. The evening concluded with singing and dancing and good family fun with The White Keys band from Minneapolis, Minnesota.
The Woodville JuleFest thanks all of its sponsors and partners for helping make this event possible and a special thanks to the Village of Woodville for their support to this community event.
“Julefest 2025 is already in the works, and you can pencil it for the first Saturday in December,” said Swanson. “We’ve got some exciting ideas already for next year, but we’ll need even greater support from community members to bring this to life. Anyone interested in being part of our planning committee should contact me at the bar or via email at jeff@woodvillegaragebar.com.”
