Even with COVID-19 shutting down lots of things, there are still opportunities for holiday fun and family activities in Cottage Grove.

The Cottage Grove City Council had a presentation at its meeting last Wednesday from Molly Pietruszewski of the Parks and Recreation department, highlighting opportunities to beat the pandemic blues.

“We have a ton of stuff still going on around Cottage Grove,” she said.

At a couple of the events, the main benefactor has been the Friends in Need Food Shelf, which will need the community support even more this year with families struggling.

The Hale to the Bird Thanksgiving 5K run is going virtual this year, and people could sign up and get a shirt for the event.

A huge event every holiday season is the CP Holiday Train. The Cottage Grove visit is a must for families and crowds from near and far.

This year’s event, unfortunately, has to be virtual, with a concert planed on Dec. 12.

CP railroad has announced it’s donating $1.24 million to 201 food banks in communities that ordinarily host CP Holiday Train events.

“For more than two decades, the CP family has supported Canadians and Americans in need through the CP Holiday Train program,” said CP President and CEO Keith Creel. “In a year full of challenge and loss, we will host this concert as a call to action for the train’s supporters to donate generously if they can this Christmas season. The spirit of the Holiday Train will come alive even though the train itself will not operate due to the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Residents are urged to take part in the “Holiday Train at Home” event at 7 p.m. Dec. 12 on CP’s Facebook page. Performers include Serena Ryder, The Trews, JoJo Mason, Logan Staats and Kelly Prescott.

In Cottage Grove, there also is a virtual silent auction to coincide with the CP Holiday Train event.

Pietruszewski said there’s a fundraising goal of $70,000 to help the food shelf.

“It needs our help now more than ever. We’ve reduced our goal to $70,000. We gratefully are well on our way to meet that goal.”

The virtual silent auction will run from “Cyber Monday”, Nov. 30, to Dec. 11.

“There’s some great items on there,” said Pietruszewski.

Participate in the auction by checking out the Friends in Need webpage at finfood.org. Items from the silent auction can be picked up Saturday, Dec. 12 at Hamlet Park.

Saturday, Dec. 12 at Hamlet Park, a Fill Up a Fire Truck event for paper products for the food shelf will be held.

“We’ve done a ton of planning on this. We did not see the toilet paper and paper towel shortage coming the last few days,” said Pietruszewski. “We’re not going to be able to fill a fire truck with paper products.”

Despite that shortage, if you have paper products to give, the food pantry is in need of them and bring them down to Hamlet Parks.

‘That is one thing the food shelf cannot buy in bulk at a discounted rate,” said Pietruszewski.

Fill Up a Fire Truck will be a drive-through event. In addition to paper products, cash donations will be accepted. People are asked not to bring food items.

“Santa and Mrs. Claus will be waving from the sidelines,” said Pietruszewski.

Families are encouraged to check out the Christmas lights at City Hall, and there’s a mailbox for letters to Santa there also.

Also this week, the city will have the map for its popular Holiday Home Lights Tour.

“If you’re planning a display, it doesn’t have to be huge, register your home as a tour stop,” said Pietruszewski, noting as of last week there were already 10 homes on the map, which will be available on the city web page.

The route starts at city hall, of course.

The city is also working to make sure residents can get out and play safely in the community.

“It’s hard right now, but there’s still lots of great things that Cottage Grove offers to get out and play,” said Pietruszewski, with trails that will be plowed all winter, sledding, snow-shoeing and cross-country skiing. She said skating rinks will be flooded as soon as the temperatures allow.

“There’s a lot of great things open in our community when it feels like things are shutting down around us,” said Pietrszewski.

Council member La Rae Mills thanked the parks department for its hard work.

“I just want to say thank you to Molly and the staff that work so hard to put together creative ideas so people have things to do at this time,” she said. “I look forward to trying out maybe all of it.”