Stelle Traditions
Years of community living have produced a number of community traditions. Here are some of the most popular:
 | Christmas Tree Walk - On a Saturday evening before Christmas a group of residents walk from house to house to carol in front of each other's Christmas tree. The tree owner chooses a carol, and hopefully the group knows the words (sometimes the second verse is a challenge.) The Christmas tree serenade is followed by an evening of food and merriment at the Wilkerson's house. | ||
| Christmas Program - On a weekend before Christmas the community comes together to celebrate the Yule. This typically involves a procession or play where the children dress in biblical clothing and reenact scenes from Christ's birth. Often Christmas carols follow, then come food, drinks, and visiting. | ||
| Festival of Joy - This event coincides with the July 4 holiday and oftentimes includes the return of many former residents. It starts with a small parade that travels the length of the community and back. It may be the only parade in the world where the entire crowd of watchers cross lawns to catch the parade as it turns the corner, thus ensuring a continual audience. The parade is followed by volleyball, a lawn tractor 'race', and a community wide pot luck dinner. The day culminates in an evening variety show where community members display their talents. Click here for photos from the July 2003 Festival of Joy Reunion. | ||
| Click Here for the 2008 Festival announcement. | ||
| Harvest Celebration - This autumn day begins with pumpkin carving, followed by a pot luck dinner including 'Stone Soup', and if weather permits, a game of sardines in the park after dark. Click here to read memories of a heartwarming harvest celebration as well as the story behind 'Stone Soup' (contributed by Susan Fisher). | ||
| Quilt Making - For many years Stelle women have sewn quilts for newborns and as wedding gifts for young couples. The women individually embroider a cloth square, then one woman sews the squares onto a quilt. Click here to see examples of some baby quilts displayed in the community center. | ||
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Apple Cider Making with the local Tri-Point Grade School students - The local youngsters have a field trip to harvest apples from the Stelle orchard, then experience grinding and squeezing them to produce a golden flow of cider. The field trip is not complete without a taste of homemade cider. | ||
| Dinners for Recent Mothers and in Times of Illness or Surgery - While the tradition of assisting those who are ill, or mothers who have recently given birth, seems lost in our modern U.S. culture, it is alive and well in Stelle. It's always nice to know we have friends and neighbors we can count on in times of need. | ||
| Easter Brunch - On Easter morning, residents typically come together in honor of Christ's resurrection, sharing a brief spiritual offering followed by a pot luck breakfast. | ||
| Arbor Day Tree Planting - Stelle is the second smallest recognized Arbor Day Tree City in the United States. To retain that status, trees are planted in the community on Arbor Day. |
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Tree Planting |