MENDOTA – The Mendota Area Chamber of Commerce is hosting “A Mendota Christmas” on Saturday, Dec. 15.  It is a holiday celebration inviting everyone to come out and enjoy an afternoon of holiday cheer and begin their Christmas shopping.  Mendota shops will be decorated and ready for Christmas, featuring gifts for everyone on your list.

Plenty of goodies will be available for purchase. The Kiwanis Club will be having a pecan sale at Eureka Savings Bank. M.A.S.S. will be selling baked goods at First State Bank and Mendota Mat Masters will be selling baked goods at Financial Plus Credit Union.

These groups are part of Mrs. Santa’s Cookie Sales and will be selling their holiday cookies, candies, breads, and pecans in the bank lobbies until noon.

Joining in this year’s festivities is balloon artist Lica Lorraine.  She will be strolling downtown from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. showing off her talents.

Horse Drawn Carriage Rides, departing from the Post Office at the corner at Washington Street and Indiana Avenue, will be giving free rides around the downtown area from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. The Mendota Bible Church will have cookies available in front of the Post Office.

From 11 a.m.-3 p.m., children of all ages are invited to “Touch a Truck” on Illinois Avenue. Children can come and explore vehicles from police cars, firetrucks, and tractors.

There will also be crafts for children to make and take on Illinois Avenue from 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

One of the highlights of the day will be a visit by the man in red, Santa Claus, accompanied by Mrs. Claus. They will be listening to children’s wishes in Santa’s house in the First State Bank parking lot from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. The Mendota Optimist Club will be serving hotdogs and hot chocolate in the parking lot during that time period.

Through a special project by Jennifer (Foulk) Bast, a former Mendotan, and the Graves-Hume Public Library, children that visit Santa will be receiving an Usborne Book following their visit. This will take place at the Graves-Hume Library booth in the First State Bank parking lot.

Parents are encouraged to bring a camera and take holiday photos of the children at the various events.

Admission to all events is free, but the Chamber will be collecting free-will donations to benefit the Mendota Operation Elf Action program, which provides Christmas gifts to children ages 1 -13 whose families need assistance this holiday season.

Chamber Ambassadors will be on hand in the information booth selling 50/50 tickets and ornaments, and Mendota Gift Certificates will also be available.  The booth will be located on Illinois Avenue.

Another shopping option is the OSF HealthCare Saint Paul Auxiliary Gift Shop, which will be open from 9-noon to help you with holiday gift ideas for friends and family.

Shoppers are reminded that Mendota’s Shop Local Promotion kicked off Nov. 17 and will continue through Dec. 31 at participating businesses. During this time shoppers will receive a sticker for every $10 they spend in a participating merchant’s business. Customers can place the stickers on cards, obtained at the participating business or at the Chamber office. When your cards are full, and contain at least three participating businesses, you can turn them in to the Chamber office for a chance to win valuable prizes. In conjunction with “A Mendota Christmas,” shoppers will receive “double stickers” for every $10 they spend on Dec. 15.

Mendota Shop Local Businesses will be giving away four gift baskets. The Grand Prize Basket is worth over $1,000 in gift cards and merchandise and three other baskets are worth over $300 each. In addition, $20 Mendota Gift Certificates will be awarded to 10 drawing winners.

Shoppers can turn in as many cards as they wish by the deadline – 4 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 3, 2019. The drawing for these great gift baskets will take place on Jan. 4.