Jinglepalooza Dec. 4 to feature many holiday favorites

The Elburn and Countryside Community Center will host its second annual Jinglepalooza event on Friday, Dec. 4, from 5 to 8 p.m. The event will run throughout the community center, 525 N. Main St., Elburn. It is held rain or shine, and is free for all to attend.

This year's event will include many family favorites, including Pictures with Santa (so bring your camera), a Holiday Wreath Auction, crafters, a small business expo, Letters to Soldiers writing station, a Elburn Elf Express Ride, cookie decorating and much more.

Inside the building, everyone is invited to have a photo taken with Santa, who will be on hand to hear Christmas gift requests. Cookies will be available to decorate, and holiday wreaths will be auctioned as a fundraiser for the center.

The Elburn Herald will once again host its life-size candyland game, where players become life-size pieces that walk through a decorated game board. Midtown Martial Arts will put on demonstrations throughout the night to show off their martial arts skills. Creative Beginnings Child Care will host a craft station so children of all ages can decorate and design a holiday craft, and the Fox Valley Wildlife Center will bring a few "friends" over for the night, so children can see local wildlife up close.

Also new this year is the Poinsettia Sale that began Nov. 1. Local residents can purchase poinsettias from the center this year for $15. The poinsettias, which come in a 6.5-inch pot with bloom colors of red, white, pink or marble, are grown right here in Elburn at Shady Hill Gardens. Orders must be placed no later than Monday, Nov. 31. All proceeds from this new fundraiser will help with future improvements around the center.

Once visitors have had all their fun on the inside, they can head outside the center, and ride the Elburn Express Elf Train. It features a train of sleighs pulled through a maze of nearly a dozen large holiday inflatable decorations. It's a great ending to a fun night.

The entire Community Center event is offered free of charge. However, residents are urged to stop by Old Second Bank or National Bank and & Trust, located in Elburn to purchase a jingle bell to help ring in the holidays with "Jinglepalooza." The community center operates solely on donations, and money received from the rental of office space, meetings and activities. It does not receive any tax dollars. For more information regarding "Jinglepalooza" or the Community Center, call Leah Morong, assistant volunteer program director, at (630) 365-6655 or email at ElburnCCC@gmail.com.