Sloppy start to festivities

Diane Ancede could describe Saturday's setup for Lisle's holiday celebration in one word.

"Sloppy," said the organizer of the town's Once Upon a Christmas festival. "It was a sloppy mess."

Still, dozens of volunteers braved the snow, cold and freezing rain to help the village's "Lights of Lisle" festivities go off as planned.

In addition to Lisle Station Park's 1800's-era Christmas, complete with crafts, brick oven baking and model trains, the village had a Santa parade and tree-lighting ceremony.

Predictably, the weather prompted many expected parade-watchers -- and participants -- to stay home.

"I saw a wagon with one child," Ancede said. "But I'm glad somebody showed up."

Organizers bought 30 pounds of candy for the event, and only used five bags, she said.

The visitors who did brave the cold could be found inside -- at one of the park's museum buildings or at village hall.

On days like these, volunteer Marva Maxwell knows how important her job is.

She and others from the Infant Welfare Society's Lisle-Naperville chapter set out cookies and hot chocolate in the village hall lobby.

"It's fun," Maxwell said. "The kids come in freezing cold, and they're so happy to get a cup of hot chocolate."

The longtime volunteer said last year was colder, but this year's ice and snow made conditions "just dangerous."

Despite them, Ancede proudly reported that all her volunteers showed up.

Not that their job was easy.

"It's hard," Brian Failing said of trying to shovel snow. "As soon as I shovel something, it's right back there. It's everywhere."

The Lisle Teens With Character service group faced a challenge in lighting the 2,000 luminarias -- scaled down from the initial 3,000 planned -- that were scattered around downtown.

Clicking the lighters repeatedly, only to watch the flame burn out, got old fast.

"They won't work," said Liz Hudson, 19. "And we think we're going to get early arthritis from all the clicking."

Still, Ancede wasn't too down about the weather. "It's winter," she said. "What can you expect?"

But she is hoping for bigger crowds today, as the Once Upon a Christmas celebration continues from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.