January 25, 2026 Local Stories in and Around St. Joseph, Illinois

Holly Jolly Kids Christmas to take place Saturday

Santa Claus is coming to town. 

The St. Joseph Stanton-Fire Family is putting on Holly Jolly Kids Christmas on Saturday. The event includes a pancake breakfast from 7 to 9:30 a.m. with a visit from The Grinch. The cost is $8 for adults, $6 for kids.  

Santa will arrive on a St. Joseph-Stanton fire truck at 10 a.m. 

While waiting to see Santa kids and parents can enjoy hot cocoa, crafts, make reindeer food and write Santa a letter.

Meena’s Memories will also be on site to take family photos. 

Event organizer Vickie Reese said the event take months to plan but it is worth it to see the joy on the children’s faces. 

“My personal favorite part is seeing all the joy, hearing all the laughter and seeing the Village of St. Joe and surrounding towns come together to share in the Magic of the Christmas season,” she said. 

Reese said there is a lot of work that goes into the day. 

“We begin planning the year prior and start to execute the vision in October,” she said. “We set up the trees and make sure all the lights are working a couple of weeks prior to the event.”

A week prior to the event, the lights are hung, the trees are fluffed and decorated and the backdrops are hung.

Then the evening prior and the early morning of a few of Fire Family members decorate the tables the firefighters, SJO FFA and National Honor Society volunteers put up.

“It’s a ton of work but so worth it,” she said. 

Each child who visits Santa will receive a fire helmet and a gift bag with a craft, reindeer food, coloring pages and a few other surprises inside.

Banner
Related Posts

The Importance of Sunscreen

July 8, 2021

July 8, 2021

By: Will Miller, PA-C, Christie Clinic Department of Dermatology Summer has come and everyone is out and enjoying the sun....

CU Feed the Need to distribute food this week

August 26, 2020

August 26, 2020

CU Feed the need has even more food to distribute this week thanks to the St. Joseph Food Pantry. The...

Talk of the Town… Jim and Jen Wagner

August 6, 2019

August 6, 2019

Every week we ask a village resident or official three questions. This week we spoke to Jim and Jen Wagner...

Help the Forest Preserve District

May 5, 2021

May 5, 2021

Garlic mustard is beginning to grow and the Forest Preserve District could use your help to remove it. It is...

Painter ‘making a difference’ during his time in St. Joseph

December 20, 2019

December 20, 2019

Max Painter loves to serve his community. Painter, who was appointed to the St. Joseph Village Board in August, said...

Christmas in St. Joseph events kick off this week

November 28, 2022

November 28, 2022

A young girl’s wish for a community Christmas tree started a town-wide holiday extravaganza that will kick off on Dec....

Christie Clinic Shootout in St. Joseph still on, but SJO won’t play

January 11, 2020

January 11, 2020

The heavy rainfall that hit St. Joseph on Friday night and into Saturday morning, along with the potential for severe...

Local towns schedule egg hunts

April 10, 2019

April 10, 2019

April 13 St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce Easter Egg Hunt The Chamber of Commerce stuffs 1500 eggs with candy, stickers,...

Christmas village on display at Ogden Rose Library

December 21, 2022

December 21, 2022

A winter wonderland is on display at the Ogden Rose Library. More than 500 holiday buildings are on display. The...

See the stars this weekend

May 27, 2019

May 27, 2019

This weekend take the family to see the stars. On June 1 from 6 p.m. to midnight the Champaign County...

‘Helping them reach their potential is humbling and rewarding at the same time’

January 26, 2023

January 26, 2023

A performance today will culminate one of the most powerful artistic and personal experiences Justin Lee has had in his...

Salon 192 to hold food drive

November 9, 2020

November 9, 2020

Amy Gibbons wants to help people. Gibbons, the owner of Salon 192 on Lincoln Street in St. Joseph, has organized...

Allen reflects on Addams Family performance

April 6, 2022

April 6, 2022

Logan Allen loved performing with his friends. Allen played Lucas in the Addams Family which the St. Joseph-Ogden Drama Department...

Tree lighting, Grinch scavenger hunt to take place today

December 2, 2023

December 2, 2023

The hunt for the Grinch is on. The Village of St. Joseph is hosting a scavenger hunt on Dec. 2...

5 Question Friday with Drama Director Chandler Dalton

October 28, 2022

October 28, 2022

The SJO drama department is producing “The Internet is Distract—Oh look a kitten!” Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at...

Comments
Leave a Reply