RATHDRUM - Eager youngsters didn't give a hay about being covered in wet straw or taking an elbow to the face as they wildly searched for coins in the "dash for cash" competition Saturday afternoon.

"I got a $1 coin, but I got a whole bale of hay on me and I collapsed," said Ethan Nelblock, 11, of Rathdrum. "Be as fast as you can. It was really worth it and it was really fun."

Ethan and his best friend, Jeffrey Herr, 11, of Rathdrum, joined many others who roamed Rathdrum's Main Street and enjoyed competitions, tasty treats, visits with Santa and more during the December D'Lights celebration. The annual Rathdrum event, presented by the Rathdrum Area Chamber of Commerce in conjunction with several local entities, rang in the holiday season in cozy, small-town, traditional Christmas fashion.

Amber Herr accompanied her son Jeffrey as he and Ethan enjoyed the day's activities.

"My kids love it," she said. "It's a good family-friendly environment. Rathdrum (chamber) is great for putting this on. It's awesome."

Small infernos blazed in firebowls surrounded by scattered haybales, providing heat and slightly damp seats for those who stood in the rain warming their hands by the fires. The clip-clop of horse hooves could be heard all through downtown as horses pulled wagons of families on hayrides. Chili chefs compared their recipes and vied for the people's choice award during the chili cook-off, kids colored holiday scenes and made ornaments in the arts and crafts building and vendors were on site to sell neat gifts such as coat racks decorated with horseshoes, hand-knitted hats and colorful beaded jewelry.

A lot the action took place on the stage in the center of Main Street, including the ugly sweater contest. Brenden Biggs of Rathdrum got booted from the contest because his sweater just wasn't ugly enough, but he was a good sport about it.

"It's OK, I was told not to enter because my sweater is nice," he said with a grin. "They didn't have enough contestants, so I thought I'd spice it up."

Rathdrum Mayor Vic Holmes wore a Santa hat as he merrily interacted with children and helped present some of the activities. December D'Lights opened with a lighting ceremony Friday, but Holmes said festivities were interrupted by one cranky individual: the Grinch. Holmes warned everyone to be on the lookout for him, as he was lurking nearby.

"He's been trouble this year," Holmes said. "We're going to bring in some extra security to see if we can handle him."

Holmes said the Grinch would cause problems during Saturday's lighting, but young Rathdrum citizens would be presenting the Grinch with a special heart necklace to prove that Rathdrum knows just what the holiday season is all about.

"The Grinch is not getting this tree lighting," he said.

Holmes said December D'Lights has been a yearly event for the town since at least the late-1980s and every year the celebration gets bigger.

"The people of Rathdrum are just amazing," he said. "Last year it was six degrees and we had a crowd. This year it's been raining, and we have a crowd. The people that come out here are so community minded. It's an amazing thing to me that every event we have, there they are, and people show up."