Airplanes flying over the Mission Valley must have wondered what was happening in Ronan Friday evening to brighten the night sky well past dark. The answer is Lights Under the Big Sky at the fairgrounds.

Thousands of lights, swagged, strung, wrapped and zip-tied, were twinkling – and will continue to do so this weekend. If a surface is stationary and inanimate, it's covered with lights.

Meanwhile, fire pits provide warmth and light for people to stand by and sip hot chocolate or coffee and munch cookies and other goodies sold by the good cooks from the Faith Lutheran Church.

The Farrand family sells hot chocolate (with marshmallows and whipped cream), coffee and Christmas trees during the annual extravaganza. Rance Farrand is selling hot chocolate in order to buy a square baler “so he can go to baling hay and be an entrepreneur,” according to his grandmother, Carrie Clairmont.

While there isn’t any hay at Lights Under the Big Sky, there are ample kids’ activities in the Horticulture barn's Kids' Zone, and outdoors broom ball with Mission Valley Ice Arena volunteers, who teach kids and adults how to play hockey with a broom on grass. Santa Claus is also on the premises and crafters sell their wares at the Christmas Market in the Community Center, while musicians from the Western Montana Musicians Co-op supply tunes. 

Fairgrounds Manager Sjaan Vincent, estimated about 1,000 people attended on Friday night and 750 were there Saturday night.

“It’s just so satisfying to have an event that everyone comes to,” she said. “It’s the community coming together.”

Doors are open again from 5-9 p.m. this Friday and Saturday. For more information, look for Lights Under the Big Sky on Facebook.

    Activities for kids at Lights Under the Big Sky were grouped in the Horticulture Barn. One craft was using painted hands to make reindeer antlers, and this young man has one red hand and one yellow hand. (Berl Tiskus/Leader)
  

    Hot cocoa and coffee were good sellers for the Farrand family at Lights Under the Big Sky last weekend. (Berl Tiskus/Leader)
  

    Vendors at the Christmas Market had interesting and unique items for last-minute Christmas gifts. (Berl Tiskus/Leader)
  

    A hoop dancer entertained visitors during the opening night of Lights Under the Big Sky in Ronan. (Berl Tiskus/Leader)