Christmas in the Grove Event To Return Nov. 30
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Elm Grove will become a winter wonderland complete with light displays and carolers when Christmas in the Grove returns to the Osiris Shrine Temple.
The event, which will be held on Saturday, Nov. 30, will kick off at 9 a.m. with a community-wide scavenger hunt that will last until 6 p.m. Elm Grove Elementary students will gather at 6:15 p.m. to perform Christmas carols.
Santa will make his big entrance to the festival at 6:45 p.m. Families are invited to meet and take photos with Kris Kringle and one of his elves.
At 7 p.m., Elm Grove's Christmas tree will be lit up for the first time. The 25-30 ft. tall tree will remain on display outside the Osiris Shrine Temple until the new year. The event will wrap up at 8 p.m.
Kristy Ferguson, president of the Elm Grove Business Association, said the tree lighting would be the "main event" of the night. Additional light displays and themed decorations will also help transform Elm Grove into a winter wonderland.
"We've partnered up with other local organizations to try and make the festival a little bigger than last year," Ferguson said. "This year, there will be a little bit more lights that we're going to make a tunnel of lights with."
Ferguson noted the collaborative effort among the community that was required to create the festival. She thanked Osiris Shriners for hosting the event and The City of Wheeling and Savage Construction for their help placing and decorating the Christmas tree.
The collaboration among local businesses to create Christmas in the Grove goes beyond decorating. Thirty-five businesses in Elm Grove, located anywhere from Kruger Street to Lumber Avenue, will be used stops on the community-wide scavenger hunt.
Participants in the scavenger hunt will solve riddles that will send them to the local businesses. Once at the establishment, they will receive additional instructions on how to complete the stop on the hunt. Each correct answer will include elements that encourage participants to share their experiences on social media.
To participate, residents can download the scavenger hunt app from the link on the Elm Grove WV Business Association Facebook page or pick up a paper form for the hunt at the Kruger Steet Toy Museum.
"Elm Grove has an abundance of small businesses on our side of town, and I don't think that people always remember that there's so many here," Ferguson said. "This is just a good way to bring awareness to those businesses and hopefully bring them some businesses as well. Small businesses are the backbone of this community, so it's definitely important to support them."
In addition to local businesses, other organizations are chipping in for Christmas in the Grove. The Wheeling Mar-Win Church of the Nazarene will provide "make and take" craft activities for children. Elm Grove United Methodist Church will offer free hot chocolate and cookies for attendees. So Nuts 4 Donuts will also be setting up shop at Osiris Shrine for the festival.
Ferguson emphasized every part of the festival is free. The Elm Grove Business Association is the sole funder for the festival. Ferguson said Christmas in the Grove was the group's "gift back to the community."
"We don't ask for sponsors for this event because, at this point in the year, all the businesses have been bombarded with sponsorships, so this is our opportunity to give back, not try to get more," Ferguson noted. "This is going to be a fun time to bring people together."