Around Thanksgiving I attended a Christmas carol sing-a-long in a small community in South Dakota in Siouxland. In Nora, SD music enthusiast and Christmas lover Mike Pederson invites people to come to a former general store and share in the spirit of Christmas.
Mike performs on a pipe organ in the store which he has been doing for 28 years, and is accompanied by a violinist and the voices of people who travel near and far to join in song and celebration of Christmas. The last sing-a-longs will be occurring soon and a real treat, it’s worth a drive.
Mike Pederson plays a pipe organ that sits in the store during the Christmas sing-a-long at Nora, SD Sunday Nov. 26, 2017. (Photo by Jerry L Mennenga)
The Nora General Store in Nora, SD, sits along a state highway and is listed on the National Register of Historic, which occurred in 2007. A Christmas sing-a-long has taken place for 28 years at the Nora store, Sunday Nov. 26, 2017. (Photo by Jerry L Mennenga)
It is fun to meet people and sing with them, even if your voice sounds better in your head than in real life, like my own. Christmas is a season for rejoicing and sharing and the comradery with happy faces and voices is amazing. Mike would love to have you stop by and join in the fun. However, get there very early, otherwise you might find yourself listening in through the open front doors on a pleasant day, and through the doors on a day with temps in the teens and snow on the ground.
Jerry Mennenga
Sioux City, Iowa
With the seating and standing room full inside the store, others stand around the front door for the Christmas sing-a-long to sing carols at Nora, SD Sunday Nov. 26, 2017. (Photo by Jerry L Mennenga)
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- Some Christmas decorations are hung for the Christmas sing-a-long at Nora, SD Sunday Nov. 26, 2017. (Photo by Jerry L Mennenga)
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- Some singers came prepped with their own antlers for the Christmas sing-a-long at Nora, SD Sunday Nov. 26, 2017. (Photo by Jerry L Mennenga)
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- Attendees find any open place to sit for the Christmas sing-a-long at Nora, SD Sunday Nov. 26, 2017. (Photo by Jerry L Mennenga)
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- No room at the inn for the Christmas sing-a-long at Nora, SD Sunday Nov. 26, 2017. (Photo by Jerry L Mennenga)
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- Mike Pederson plays the pipe organ for the Christmas sing-a-long at Nora, SD Sunday Nov. 26, 2017. (Photo by Jerry L Mennenga)
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- Everyone sings along during the Christmas sing-a-long at Nora, SD Sunday Nov. 26, 2017. (Photo by Jerry L Mennenga)
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- Santa greets a youngster during a Christmas sing-a-long at Nora, SD Sunday Nov. 26, 2017. (Photo by Jerry L Mennenga)
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- Santa Claus makes an entrance during the Christmas sing-a-long at Nora, SD Sunday Nov. 26, 2017. (Photo by Jerry L Mennenga)
lostinsiouxland 
Thank you, Jerry, for the warm and cheery way of keeping community going during this Christmas season. It was a pleasure to hear the voices singing as well as hearing Mike Pederson playing the organ in a lively fashion.
Becky,
As always, thank you for the kinds words and for again visiting my site. It was truly fun to visit Nora, SD and see everyone enjoying themselves. Mike is an excellent host and makes everyone feel at home and get into that Christmas spirit.
I sometimes wonder though as he, and others similar to him that I have met while writing my blog, get older, who will be there to, if not fill their shoes, follow and continue traditions? The majority of people visiting Nora were older, and it’s true as children get older and start families they begin to participate in activities like these, which I hope continue to enrich people’s lives who attend and make it all happen. jerry