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Country Christmas 2025 | Keeping Christmas merry in Sterling

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Small towns know how to do Christmas, and Sterling, Colorado is a perfect example. 

Sterling was incorporated in December of 1884 and became the county seat of newly formed Logan County in 1887. It seems appropriate that a town born in December honors its rich history with a family-oriented Christmas celebration. 

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Kicking off the holiday season is the lighting of the Logan County Courthouse, the cornerstone of the historic Sterling downtown area. Marilee Johnson, Logan County Tourism Director, explains what makes the town special at Christmas. 

“On the Friday after Thanksgiving, the lighting ceremony begins shortly after dark,” said Johnson. “Local church and high school choirs sing Christmas carols from the courthouse stairs.” 

Santa Claus appears on the courthouse steps with the County Commissioners, and with the pull of a lever, the courthouse becomes draped in Christmas colors. Johnson says the town has been known for this tradition for many years. 

Lighting the courthouse hasn’t always been as easy as it is now. For many years, the building had been lit with traditional Christmas lights. The historic Classic Revival structure was built in 1910, and when it was renovated, one of the requirements to keep it on the National Register of Historic Places was to remove all the hangers that held the lights. Johnson says for several years, as the courthouse underwent restoration, it wasn’t lit at Christmas and people were not happy. 

“Residents were in an uproar over that because it’s been such a longstanding tradition,” said Johnson. “That’s when it was decided we had to do something. The new lights are LED, and the lighting attachment to the building meets the requirements of the Register.” Johnson added that local fundraisers helped provide funds for modern lighting. 

The next special event is the Parade of Lights, organized by the Chamber of Commerce and held on the first Thursday of December. The lighted courthouse makes a fitting backdrop for the parade, which has become a beloved tradition. Those who remember going to town to see decorated storefront windows decorated for Christmas are thrilled to see the tradition come alive in Sterling. 

“We’re a big agriculture community with lots of farmers, ranchers and implement dealers,” said Johnson. “The implement dealers light up tractors, and they’re a big part of the parade.” Children are thrilled to catch a glimpse of Santa on a firetruck. 

Local high school bands march in the parade, and other participants include community clubs and organizations. Johnson estimates about 50 to 100 entries participate in the parade. Many businesses stay open late so parade watchers can visit stores, and it’s a perfect opportunity for families to have dinner at local restaurants.  

Johnson says the parade is quaint and nostalgic against the backdrop of the lighted courthouse, with children bundled up and people standing along the streets to watch. But it isn’t just about lighting a courthouse or watching a parade. 

“There are Christmas trees in different locations that have cards attached with information about a child.” said Johnson. “People can pull a card and provide gifts for that child. They usually distribute all the cards available. It’s another nice aspect of our town.” 

For children, an important part of Christmas is Santa Claus, and one Sterling resident has taken care of that.  

Twenty years ago, after Larry Propp retired from an administrative position at a community college, he learned that staying home wasn’t ideal. His doctor suggested Propp turn his Santa-like appearance into more. 

“There was nothing online, and no locations, businesses or articles on becoming a Santa,” said Propp. “I thought I should develop a way to train Santas.” 
 
Propp found that providing Santas for malls would make the best of the training and energy required. Armed with experience writing business development and training plans, Propp started working on modules to teach others ‘how to best train a Santa’ to work in a mall with a photo company. 

“I ended up with contracts with seven photo companies,” said Propp, who calls his professional Santa agency ‘Propp’er Way Association LLC’. “The training with each one was different based on the needs of the photography company and their contracts for placing Santas at malls. That’s where the growth plan started for recruiting and training Santas and developing handbooks and materials.” Propp organizes Santa training programs, usually held in spring, at no charge to participants. 

If Propp interviews a potential Santa and the applicant says he isn’t fond of kids, the conversation is over. If the guy says he loves kids and enjoys working with them and has played Santa before, Propp knows that’s someone he wants to work with to train to become a Santa with a photo company in a mall. 

Propp explains what makes a great Santa. “The first thing is ‘what does Santa look like?'” he said. “He must have a real beard and a personality that allows him to work with children. When you see him, you know he’s Santa – the way he talks and how he looks.” 

While there are standards for appearance, Propp says Santas can choose their look. “That can vary between four or five different appearances,” said Propp. “They decide which look they want, then start putting together their suit and the items around it. They must have a real beard, and they’ll be wearing gloves, a Santa hat, a Santa jacket, a black belt and black boots.” Santa glasses with square or round gold frames are also a must, and glasses must be non-reflective to avoid flash reflections. 

For those determined to transform to Santa but lack a white beard, Propp says any hair that isn’t naturally white can be colored white. Propp advises Santas to use a professional colorist to achieve the correct ‘white.’ 

Becoming Santa is a part-time job with good pay, even though it’s only for about 30 days. “We do specific training for each photo company,” said Propp. “Santas work under contract with Propp’er Way Association, LLC. Our Santas usually work from the second week in November until Christmas Eve.” Propp’s daughter Erin Long is a co-owner of the business her father established and plays an integral role in operating it today. 

Propp’er Way has more than 1,200 working Santas, but Propp is always looking for more. He urges would-be Santas, who would train in spring 2026, to contact him via his website at http://www.proppersantas.com.  

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