IDA — The Ida Christmas Mall opens Friday, Dec. 5, 2025, marking the official start of the Christmas in Ida Festival with three consecutive community events. Located in downtown Ida, the mall offers free admission beginning at 5 p.m. and features merchandise from more than 80 regional vendors and craft entrepreneurs.
Shoppers will browse inside a heated French window tent equipped with four furnaces, designed to maintain comfort for thousands of expected attendees. The Ida Christmas Mall provides a broad selection of unique gift items and includes a complimentary merchandise check service and delivery assistance for visitors.
The launch night also includes the Annual Community Christmas Tree Lighting at 5:15 p.m., held outside the Ida Community Center on Lewis Avenue. Residents, families, businesses, clubs, and school groups are invited to create ornaments measuring six to ten inches in diameter for display on the 40-foot Blue Spruce evergreen at Ida Township Park.
Those unable to attend may drop off ornaments in advance at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, The Rusty Cup, or the Ida Branch Library. Hot chocolate, cookies, acoustic holiday music, and a barrel fire pit will be available. Attendees may bring their own chairs.
At 5:30 p.m., the festival continues downtown at the Ida Township parking lot with the La-Z-Boy Family Holiday Concert Series inside the heated Christmas in Ida Theater Center. The Jingle Bell Rockout!
Concert features 30-minute sets by regional bands Dads on Couches, The Boy Detective, Blair Tuller, Wipeout, Blockhouse Valley, and Rust Belt Rising. Performances follow a fast-transition, college-style concert format. Each band includes members of the Ida community. All concerts are free, with opportunities to meet the performers.
The Christmas in Ida Festival annually attracts more than 48,000 visitors, transforming downtown into a seasonal marketplace with family-focused entertainment. Organizers expect strong attendance for Friday’s opening.