A tradition in my family is going to be altered this year. My kids and I have made a yearly trip to the Arts Fest annual Christmas sale, which takes over two full schools with over 200 crafters from around the area. It is an awesome, crowded affair, with items from the $1.00 to $1,000.00 range..something definetly for everyone! Or, there is, of course, the ideas...the flash of inspiration when you know you can make this exact item..then go back next year if you can buy it from the maker who does it right! My first child has gone off to college, leaving us with less pairs hands to point out the creative masterpieces packed into the buildings. The event is large enough to warrant shuttles from the local malls, and in between schools.
North Branch has so much to offer at any season. Not quite a bedroom community, not quite stand alone, its 10,000+ residents are a mix of commuters to the metro (about 45 minutes south), Forest Lake, Cambridge or the myriad small businesses which have popped up. North Branch Outlet Mall is a mecca for Minneapolis and St. Paul shoppers, whose ranks swell the closer we get to the holidays. Anderson Windows, relatively new to the area provides well paying local assembly jobs, while Shopko has just opened as the anchor for another retail center for the area.
Both Cambrdge and North Branch appear poised to become members of the mass transit system in the near future. Both cities struggle with the question of re-routing local traffic to accomodate the economy of mass transportation. Both cities maintain strong, community based populations, which bodes well for keeping the rural flavor and welcoming atmosphere alive and well as it adapts to the future needs of it's people.
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