Nisswa welcomes the holiday season with a countdown to lighting up the town that culminates with a fireworks display Friday, Nov. 23. Downtown will be ablaze by 5:30 p.m., with holiday lights adorning trees and fences, stores and other buildings. Festivities for the annual event begin in the afternoon with horse-drawn wagon rides, live reindeer, storytelling, food merchants, bonfires, hot cider and donut holes at the Pioneer Village and holiday carolers. Santa Claus comes to town on the Nisswa firetruck at 6pm and fireworks shoot up over town at 7:30 pm