The City of Jasonville is gearing up for the Christmas season with the sixth annual Home for the Holidays event this weekend.

The event kicks off on Friday with a comedy performance by Randy May at 7 p.m. at Pizza Villa II in Jasonville. At 8 p.m., there will be an ugly sweater Christmas Vacation trivia. According to Home for the Holidays event organizer Morgan Sparks, of Jasonville’s GROW Organization, participants will receive bonus points for wearing an ugly sweater.

“One hundred percent of the funds will go to the school to address food insecurities. We’ve had money go toward the school’s brown bag program and paid off high school lunch accounts,” Sparks said. “I talk to counselors and different people in the school to see what the need is.”

Saturday will begin with a donut dash, which is a fundraiser for the GROW Jasonville organization. Sparks said there is a long and short route, both which begin at Pizza Villa II. There will be a hot chocolate stop at the Methodist Church on South Meridian Street. That stop is available for participants on the long and short route. For those on the long route, a candy cane stop will be available at the senior apartments on South Park Street. All participants will receive a donut upon completion.

Pre-registration is available at https://forms.gle/BrP8sy7hAWhD15SF8. Registration is also available the day of the event. The cost of registration is $25 for adults and $20 for students. Registration the day of the event ensures participants will receive a t-shirt as they will be ordered after the event. Students can register for $10 without a t-shirt.

From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., vendors will be set up, primarily at the Jasonville Fire Department, but some will be set up on Main Street. Vendors that will be set up in the fire department include: Sunflower Beams and Honeybee Dreams, Freckled Frills, Cheryl Green, Trendy Tips by J, Grandma Candys Creations, Lumally Cakes, Whistlestop Scentsy, J’s Rustic Expressions, B’s Beads, Aunt Sally’s Boutique, Homemade by Jean, Canine Rescue, and Eddie Eads. Vendors that will be set up on Main Street include: Little Reds Baked Goods, Lattas Creek Gals, and JHS-SHS Alumni Association.

From 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., Unreal Nightmares, located on South Meridian Street, will offer a holiday-themed haunted house extravaganza.

The Santa Train is set to arrive at 6:30 p.m. in the Jasonville City Park. It’s scheduled to be at the park until 8 p.m.

At 8 p.m., the JHS-SHS Alumni Association will have a tree lighting ceremony at Hanna Field.

Also on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., there will be a Christmas Store at Lawton Street Christian Church.

“It is where parents who are a little short on funds can go and shop for their families, not for free, but they can have the dignity of getting gifts at a much lower rate,” Sparks said.

According to the Christmas Store’s website, their goal is to provide gifts for 150 Shakamak-area children ages 0-18 for the 2024 Christmas season.

“The Christmas Store helps parents and guardians provide high quality, brand new gifts to their children at prices that are affordable. Parents and guardians who sign up for a time slot at the store can shop a collection of gifts valued at $25 to $30, at a cost to the parents and guardians of $2 per gift,” according to the site.

Those interested are required to sign up for a shopping slot ahead of time.

For more information on the Christmas Store, visit https://thechristmasstore.lawton.st/.

On Sunday, food trucks—Waffle Bob’s and Pizza Inferno—will be set up offering options for meals.

Also on Sunday from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., vendors, including Little Reds Baked Goods, Lattas Creek Girls, Shakamak PTO, Tri Kappa and Reagan’s Cup of Heaven, will be set up on Main Street. Also downtown will be face painting, cookie decorating, a photo booth, children’s crafts, letters to santa, and a candy cane hunt.

Sparks highlighted one Sunday vendor, Reagan’s Cup of Heaven, operated by Joanie Burris.

“She will offer hot chocolate and cookies, all donation based, in memory of her son Reagan,” Sparks said. “All money goes back to the school for Home for the Holidays to help the kids.”

Reindeer food will be available at the Heritage Museum courtesy of Trish North from Farmers and Mechanics. Also at the Heritage Museum will be an youth art show.

At 6 p.m., there will be a lighted Christmas parade on Main Street.

Aside from money raised on Friday night, the remainder of the money raised will benefit GROW Jasonville.

“Our mission is to focus on literally growing Jasonville. Jasonville has so much potential and we see that. We’re all people who have lived in Jasonville a long time. We have grown up here and we just want to do what we can to help the community grow and thrive,” Sparks said. “We want to focus on revitalization. We love to see different groups come together. We can support other people to step up and say, ‘hey I can do positive things, too’.”

Currently the group is raising money to revitalize an old building on Main Street.

“We are turning that into an indoor/outdoor event space,” she said. “It will be a nice space that people can rent out.”

It will have a large garage style door that can roll up. Rental feels will go back into the GROW Jasonville account.