SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — For many, singing Christmas carols is part of their holiday traditions.
Well, now that it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, there’s one small community in southeast South Dakota that takes caroling to a whole new level.
Each holiday season the Nora Store hosts groups of people from all walks of life, young and old, to sing Christmas carols, including eight-year-old Avery Kotalik.
“I like joy to the world and go tell it on the mountain and know it all,” Avery said.
Avery is here with a group of other students and their parents from Missouri Valley Christian Academy of Yankton, who made the 45 minute drive for the Christmas experience.
For some of them, it’s a real eye-opener.
“I haven’t seen one of those giant pianos before and it is really cool,” Avery said.
Mike Pedersen, who owns the store, started the holiday tradition back in 1989, along with his beautiful pipe organ.
Back then he remembers telling a friend he wanted to invite people from all over the country to come here and take part.
“How are you going to do that? I said I’m going to put an ad and see if anyone will come to Nora and sing Christmas carols and they go ‘yeah right’ welcome to the 35th year,” Pedersen said.
KELOLAND News has done stories in the past about the Nora Store and its Christmas tradition.
Pedersen says at first he was worried that all the publicity would overwhelm his schedule, but found that it’s out of his hands.
“God is in charge of crowd control, every group that has come just fills this part of the building perfectly,” Pedersen said.
Avery says she loves singing Christmas carols.
“Because my favorite holiday is Christmas,” Avery said.
Pedersen couldn’t agree more.
“It’s my living Christmas card, that’s the best way to describe it,” Pedersen said.
The Nora Store hosted 27 groups last year. They sing carols every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday leading up to Christmas.
