Saturday Nov. 30 the Winona Arts Center hosted the Holidaze event.

The event was free and open to the public from 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

At the event, community members were able to make monoprint holiday cards and prints using the print studio at the arts center. They also used stencils to create different prints and patterns.

Dirk Nelson, volunteer at the Winona Arts Center, helped run the print-making portion of the event in the lower level of the center which is RiverBed Press Studio.

“We invite the public to come in and learn how to make the prints. Some people need some tutoring, a little bit of help getting started. It’s a fun time,” Nelson said.

After the print making, there were three entertainers. Volunteers from the community of Winona read short stories, and another

volunteer directed the Winona

Fiddlers.

Volunteer Taff Roberts read “A Child’s Christmas in Wales” by Dylan Thomas. A native of Wales, he has been reading this short story for 25 consecutive years at numerous events.

Betsy Neil directed the Winona Fiddlers. The group is made up of

middle and high schoolers from the community of Winona.

Traditionally, the event has not

been called Holidaze. The event is normally a holiday shop that sells arts and crafts.

“This year we were uncertain about the availability of the building. We’re trying to raise funds for an ADA access and we thought there might be construction going on, so we didn’t plan the holiday sale that we usually have,” Nelson said.

Nelson said that they want to make the building accessible according to the regulations from the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) so that it is inclusive to all members of the community.

“We found out that the construction isn’t going be able to start until spring and we wanted to have some kind of event, so we changed the name to Holidaze,” Nelson said.

Nelson said that the arts center is a place for the community to gather.

“We’re trying to continue community involvement. We’re trying to not let the difficulties with the construction interfere from the continuity of the arts center being a gathering place for the public,” Nelson said.

Winona Arts Center will be putting on more events throughout the year.