Elgin police invite public to 'Jolly-Up' their trees

The Elgin Police Department is inviting the neighborhood over to its house Saturday to help trim the tree(s).

"Jolly-Up the Trees" will be the department's first outdoor holiday event. It takes the place of an annual holiday open house, which is normally held indoors. COVID-19 protocols made that event less practical this year.

"The holidays are a season for gathering, and this was a way we could safely gather everybody together," Elgin police Sgt. Heather Lencioni said.

The free festivities will take place from 2 to 5 p.m. in front of the station at 151 Douglas Ave. The official tree lightings will take place at 4:45 p.m.

The police hope the event will bring people of all ages and backgrounds together to decorate their four themed trees.

"Each tree's theme came from the diversity Elgin's community represents," Lencioni said. "We take pride in being inclusive with our community engagement efforts, and we believe that these themes reach out to many of our residents and community partners."

Attendees are invited to bring a holiday ornament to place on one of the trees. The themes include:

• Around the World with ornaments highlighting different cultures and international celebrations.

• Generations of Hope featuring ornaments made by and for the senior community.

• The City in the Suburbs focusing on businesses and community organization.

• Little Holidays for children of all ages to decorate.

The event will also feature a visit from Santa from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m., rides in the BATT vehicle, hot chocolate, coffee, champurrado, candy, popcorn and other treats.

Artificial trees for the event were donated by local sponsors, including the Kane County Teachers Credit Union, Oak Street Health on Summit Street and the Home Depot locations in Elgin and South Elgin.