See Festival of Wreaths in Arlington Heights

If you think holiday wreaths are all about balsam, garland and ornaments, think again.

A collection of imaginative wreaths returns next week to the Arlington Heights Historical Museum for its second annual Festival of Wreaths.

More than 100 wreaths have come in, organizers say, from individuals, businesses, service organizations, Scout troops and schools.

Think "Ponies on Parade," or the decorated train engines from the village's 125th anniversary - only more accessible, says historical society board member Betsy Kmiecik of Arlington Heights.

"It's public art, but on a more manageable scale," Kmiecik says. "Realistically, anyone can make a wreath."

And they have.

Kmiecik, herself, made several trips to the Wrigleyville Sports store on Addison Street in Chicago to outfit her Cubs-themed wreath, which is one of three with that theme on display.

Her one-of-a-kind wreath weaves together green ivy with baseball cards from the starting rotation, as well as championship pins from the National League Central Division title, the pennant and World Series.

Nearby, there is a wreath made of tea cups, another fashioned out of swatches of "ugly Christmas sweaters," and one made of oven mitts that's positioned on top of a Weber grill grate. Two other wreaths draw on pop culture for their inspiration, including one that features family patches from the "Game of Thrones." The other is made up of pages from a Harry Potter book.

Of course, there are more traditional wreaths in the mix, which do, in fact, feature balsam, garland and ornaments. Visitors can view the wreaths for free and vote for their favorite as part of the People's Choice Award, and bid on them in a silent auction that's a fundraiser for the museum.

Lisa Ohrstrom of Arlington Heights submitted the only quilted wreath. While she has created nearly 30 queen- or king-size wreaths before, this was her first smaller design, done to keep under the size requirement of the festival.

Her contemporary wall hanging uses a triangle-pieced design that measures 24 inches-by-24 inches in white, green and red. She figures she spent 15 hours piecing and constructing it by hand, before using a machine to put it together.

The eclectic display of wreaths last year drew more than 300 people and raised $10,000 for the museum's mission of collecting, preserving and presenting the history of Arlington Heights.

Organizers think this year's festival will draw even more visitors, as it will be a part of the village's tree-lighting ceremony on Nov. 26.

As part of the festivities surrounding the ceremony, a trolley will take families to four destinations within blocks of North School Park and its holiday decorations. One of the stops will be the museum, where visitors may disembark to view the wreaths.

"We see this festival as a way to bring more of the community into the museum," says Terry Karow of Arlington Heights, a historical society board member. "We wanted an interactive experience that would allow people to express themselves in different ways."

If you go

What: Festival of Wreaths

Where: Arlington Heights Historical Museum, 110 W. Fremont St.

Voting and bidding: 1:30 to 4:30 Tuesday to Friday, Nov. 22-25, when people can bid on and vote for their favorite wreath for the People's Choice Award. They can also vote after the Village of Arlington Heights' tree-lighting ceremony from 6 to 8 p.m. Nov. 25. Wreaths continue in a silent auction until Dec. 4, when winning bids will be announced.

Admission: Free, though bringing a nonperishable food donation for the Wheeling Township food pantry is encouraged

Details: <a href="http://www.ahmuseum.org/events/festival-of-the-wreaths/">www.ahmuseum.org/events/festival-of-the-wreaths</a>