The City of Elgin is kicking off the holiday season with a day full of activities at Civic Plaza and the Hemmens Cultural Center on Saturday, December 4th. The official City Tree Lighting Ceremony will take place on the Civic Plaza at 5:00 p.m., with Santa arriving on a fire truck to help city officials turn on the lights, and the Elgin Children’s Chorus leading the community in holiday songs.
Families are invited to help decorate the Holiday Tree by making their own ornaments in the lower level of the Hemmens beginning at 3:00 p.m., or by bringing ornaments crafted at home.
For the entire family, The Hemmens Cultural Center will present performances of “Church Basement Ladies- Away in the Basement” at 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., with the official tree lighting ceremony taking place between shows. In addition, City-Skate will be offering free skating from 12:00 noon to 9:00 p.m. on the Civic Plaza.
Also, at the Elgin Art Showcase, VEX Theatre will be presenting a new entertainment adventure for teens and adults. “Twist-a-Carol” features comedy, theater and song. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. on Friday December 3 and Saturday, December 4 with a matinee performance on Sunday, December 5. Tickets are $10. For reservations go to www.vextheatre.org
To purchase tickets to “Church Basement Ladies” go to www.hemmens.org. For more information on the day’s other events, go to the City of Elgin website www.cityofelgin.org.