Sam's Christmas Village is the biggest crowd Somerset draws all winter. So who is Sam? He isn't one of the owners, and he isn't Santa. According to the Hudson Star-Observer, the attraction at 710 Spring St. is named for Samuel Harriman, colonel of the 37th Wisconsin Infantry and co-founder of Somerset.
That name fits the whole operation. Families from Woodbury, Stillwater and Minneapolis book rides out to see the lights. But the attraction began on land that sat empty every winter, and local businesses help stock it. The 2026 season opens Friday, November 27, the day after Thanksgiving, and runs through January 3, 2027. The schedule has quieter stretches that a Somerset household can plan around.
The Name Came From the Village. The Land Came From the River.
Kelly and John Montpetit opened Sam's in the winter of 2019 on the grounds of their tubing and campground business, Float Rite, the Star-Observer reported. Kelly Montpetit told the paper she wanted an attraction that was "more family friendly."
The timing made sense on a calendar. A 2019 Republican Eagle profile noted that the family's property had been in use only three months a year. The Star Tribune reported that same December that the Montpetits wanted to use Float-Rite Park during the winter months when it was dormant. The light display took the name of the park's restaurant, General Sam's Bar & Grill.
The restaurant closed for good on April 1, 2021, the Star-Observer reported. Liz and Brock Montpetit then started La Pointe Events, a wedding destination, on the property. The name lives on in season. Sam's Bar & Grill opens at 5 p.m. on every walk-through night, serving comfort food and a full bar. La Pointe Events is also on this year's sponsor list.
So the same Apple River ground carries tubers in July, weddings in between and Christmas lights from late November into January.
How Far a Winter Experiment Has Grown
The best measure of growth is the light count. Each figure below comes from a different point in the attraction's history.
| Season | Lights | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2019, first year | More than 3 million | Republican Eagle |
| The season before the Star-Observer's six-year profile | 12 million | Hudson Star-Observer |
| The season of that profile | 16 million | Hudson Star-Observer |
| 2026 | 26+ million | Sam's Christmas Village |
Attendance tells the same story. The family's original goal was 90,000 visitors across the first three years, and the first winter alone drew 52,000. The second season brought in 156,000, and by the time of its six-year profile the Star-Observer put average annual attendance at about 150,000.
The season lasts about six weeks, but the work takes most of the year. Brooke Montpetit, Kelly's daughter-in-law and the village's accountant, told the paper the family starts looking for new displays in March, orders them in May and has everything made and shipped by August. She described the planning process to the Star-Observer:
"We kind of sit down and place them on the map, and then they can go out on the property. So we do all of our previous displays, plus then the new ones that are coming. We try to change it up every year so it feels new and different every season."
The Somerset Names Inside the Market
The attraction is named for Somerset's co-founder, and some of its fixtures come from Somerset businesses. WC Engraving, a Somerset business, supplies the name engravings, plaques and military emblems for the Somerset military wall display at Sam's. Tim Wilson of WC Engraving told the Star-Observer that his company was one of the original vendors in 2019 and has made a Sam's Christmas ornament every year. WC Engraving is back on the 2026 vendor list and is also a sponsor.
The 2026 European-style market runs Thursday through Sunday. Hours are 5 to 9 p.m. on Thursdays and Sundays and 5 to 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Vendors listed for this season include:
- Wild Crumb, Two Rivers Gourmet Popcorn and Fire Flavor
- Somerscents, Northwoods Goods and Moonsun Creations
- Echo's Treats Dog Bakery
- K&K Creations, T&M Creations and Young Buck Jewelry
- Lift Bridge and Hop & Barrel
- Grand Duke & Duchess and Blanket the World With Love
Santa greets guests in the market every night through December 27.
The Calendar From a Local's Side
Visitors from the metro tend to plan around weekends, and the transportation page says weekends and peak nights fill first. If you live a few minutes away, the schedule gives you more choices:
- Opening weekend runs Friday through Sunday, Nov. 27 to 29. Then the village closes Monday through Wednesday, Nov. 30 to Dec. 2, and again Dec. 7 to 9. During those first two weeks it's open Thursday through Sunday only.
- Sunday through Thursday nights are shorter. Gates are open 5 to 8 p.m. with lights off at 9. Fridays and Saturdays run 5 to 9 p.m. with lights off at 10.
- The drive-through nights are Monday and Tuesday, Dec. 14 and 15, from 5 to 8 p.m. Tickets are $15 for all ages, and children 3 and under are free. On walk-through nights the trail is a gravel path about a mile long, and snow can make wheelchair access difficult, so the FAQ recommends the drive-through nights or the courtesy shuttle.
- Starting Dec. 16, the village is open every night except Christmas Eve. It is open on Christmas Day.
Early-bird online pricing ran through October 31. Regular admission is $25 for adults and $20 for children 4 to 10. Children 3 and under are free, and the military price with valid ID is $12. Parking on walk-through nights is $10 per vehicle, cash only, and the FAQ asks groups to carpool. Tickets allow one entry only, and outside food and drink aren't allowed.
You don't have to drive. Sam's lists Uptown Girls as its transportation partner for Somerset, New Richmond, Houlton and North Hudson, with reservations at 715-220-1758.
The heated S'more Cabins are the one part of the night that requires booking ahead. There are 38 cabins, each with a private campfire and s'mores kit, starting at $159. Every sale is final, and Santa visits the cabins through December 25. The sledding hill has free tubes, but personal sleds aren't allowed.
Two December Weekends With a Somerset Feel
On the first weekend of December, the village calendar and the church calendar overlap. St. Anne Catholic School holds its Christmas Boutique in the St. Anne Church basement at 141 Church Hill Road. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 5, with Santa from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 6. Sam's opens at 5 p.m. both of those days, so the boutique and the lights can share a single Saturday.
A week later, on Sunday, Dec. 13, from 5 to 8 p.m., Hometown Hero Outdoors and Sam's host the 2026 Hometown Hero Holiday Night for military members, veterans, law enforcement, firefighters, EMS professionals and their families. Chris Kroeze is performing. He is a Wisconsin native who finished as runner-up on NBC's The Voice, and Cindy Jo Music joins him. Last year about 20 agencies and more than 500 guests came out with temperatures around 20 below zero, according to Hometown Hero Outdoors. This year, agencies from Minnesota and Wisconsin are being invited to bring emergency vehicles, K9 teams and military displays.
That night ties back to the name on the gate. The village is named for a Civil War colonel who co-founded Somerset, and it keeps a wall of local veterans' names made by a Somerset engraver.
If December has you wondering how a Somerset home near the Apple River fits your plans for next year, the team at Platinum Real Estate Team knows these neighborhoods through every season, from tubing season to the light tour. Request Your Complimentary Home Valuation, and we'll walk you through what your home is worth today.
