News : Brandon Christmas Festival helps raise funds for playground

A variety of miniature Nativity scenes were on display at the Brandon Methodist Church.

Residents begin a wagon ride around Brandon to see houses and yards brightly lit up.

Doug Lehman was among the kettle corn makers for Brandon's holiday event.

Myra Peyton eats kettle corn while sitting in Santa's sleigh during Brandon's Christmas Festival.

While the full moon rising over Brandon this past weekend illuminated streets full of winter cheer, the people inside were also looking ahead to summer evenings, when the town's children could enjoy outdoor recreation on a new playground at the city park.

The Christmas Festival, which takes place the first weekend of each December, included a silent auction of wreaths and baskets, and other fund-raising efforts, designed to raise $40,000 for a new playground system for the park.

The current equipment is wood and is more than 25 years old. The new system includes metal and heavy-duty plastic components as well as a safety cushion flooring .

The planners of the Brandon Area Community Club's Park Committee say they will rely on volunteer labor to assemble and set up the equipment as a way to reduce expenses.

Those interesting in making donations may mail them to the BACC Park Committe, C/O Theresa Stacy, 901 Main Street, Brandon IA 52210.

The committee hopes to be able to install the equipment this summer.

Brandon residents have proven in the past that they can do extensive fund-raising; many of the Festival events took place in the Brandon Community Center, which residents raised money to build several years ago.