:quality(70):focal(1790x755:1800x765)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/shawmedia/LN3MQVZJJ5A3LJ54S5EWKQ6VVE.jpg)
Looking for something to do this holiday season? Here are just a few of the events happening in the Sauk Valley this weekend:
1. Rock Falls Centennial Park lighting displays: Rock Falls Tourism and Coloma Township are once again teaming up for their Holiday Light Display at Centennial Park. Local businesses and organizations have trimmed the park with holiday lights and scenes that visitors can drive through every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from now until Dec. 28. Hours are from 5:30-8:30 p.m. Admission is free but donations are welcome. Dec. 6 will be a food drive for the Sauk Valley Food Bank and on Dec. 14, Santa, Mrs. Claus and Buddy the Elf will make a visit.
2. Sterling Seasonal Sights and Sounds Christmas walk: Join the fun as Sterling Main Street and the Sauk Valley Area Chamber of Commerce kick off the holiday season with their annual “Seasonal Sights and Sounds Christmas Walk” on Friday, Dec 6. Visitors can enjoy late-night holiday shopping, horse and carriage rides, decorated storefronts and streets, kids activities, visits with Santa, performances at Dale Park, the annual lighting of the tree and more. Additionally, downtown storefronts and shop windows will be painted to keep patrons cheerful as they search for holiday deals and meals. The fun starts downtown, where Santa will arrive at 5:15 p.m. by horse and carriage down Locust Street. The festivities continue with the official lighting of the Library Plaza Christmas Tree at 5:30 p.m. at the corner of Locust and Fourth Streets, across from the Sterling Theater. Visitors can journey to the municipal parking lot behind Grummert’s Hardware, 424 Locust St., where horse and carriage rides will be available from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The Salvation Army Canteen will be nearby with hot beverages, and holiday music will be provided by 3D Sound. Santa’s Workshop, a free event, is full of children’s games and activities. It starts immediately after the tree lighting and runs until 7:30 p.m. Kids also can get their photo taken while visiting Santa and Mrs. Claus at the workshop, which will take place on Fourth Street between First Avenue and Locust Street, alongside the Sterling Theater. Visit Dale Park at 214 Locust St. for entertainment by the Penguin Project, where local actors will perform at 6, 6:30 and 7 p.m. For more information, call the Sauk Valley Area Chamber of Commerce at 815-625-2400.
3. Dixon Christmas Walk: Dixon’s 36th annual Christmas Walk will be from 5-8 p.m. Dec. 6. The event begins with the KSB Hospital tree lighting and features live street performers, lighted truck displays, carolers and more. Event goers can take free photos with Santa at Living Well Church, 116 E. First St., ride in a horse drawn carriage, which departs at the corner of South Hennepin Avenue and West First Street, and listen to live music by the Dixon Municipal Band inside and outside of Salamandra Restaurant, 105 W. First St. For more information visit discoverdixon.com.
4. Polo “Fruitcakes” performances: The Polo Area Community Theatre is preparing for its annual Christmas show, “FrUiTCaKeS.” The cast of 21 individuals includes 13 local children who have been rehearsing since early October. Set in a small Georgia town, the play brings together a mix of characters and situations, including an “enormous” batch of fruitcakes, 10,000 outdoor lights, three dozen Christmas trees, a chicken pox outbreak, two southern spinsters, a lonely old man, a single policeman, children in a Christmas pageant, a runaway and a fruitcake thief. Showtimes are 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 6; Saturday, Dec. 7; and Friday, Dec. 13; and 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 8, and Saturday, Dec. 14. The shows will be performed at the Polo Town Hall, 117 N. Franklin Ave. in Polo. Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for seniors (60 and over); $10 for children (12 and under) and can be purchased at the door or online at www.polotheatre.org.
5. MMTA radio show: The Morrison Music Theatre Association will present “A Christmas Carol” at 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 6, and 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7. The performances will be at Crossroads Community Church, 300 W. South St. in Morrison. Admission is free, but donations are appreciated. The show will be in the format of a live radio performance, including commercials. Cast members from Morrison include Carolyn Aiken, Coen Finkle, Muira Layne, Hope MacLennan, Hannah Oostenryk, Eric Phend, Mesa Popkin, Rush Popkin, Alice Richards, Finley Steele, Shay Steele, Bob Stone, Connie Swanson-DeSpain, Scott Vandermyde and Anakin Weston. Actors from neighboring communities are Walker Barnhart and Wes Tharpe from Clinton, Kim Myers from Prophetstown and Kraig Schweiss from Sterling.
• Would you like your event listed in this weekly feature? Submit your events to Sauk Valley Media’s community calendar at shawlocal.com/sauk-valley/local-events.