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Community spirit shines as Mt.
Pulaski hosts another year of Winter Wonderland
[December 10, 2025]
A chilly Saturday evening
didn’t stop families from filling the town square as Mt. Pulaski
celebrated its annual Winter Wonderland on December 6 from 4–6 p.m.,
an event that has steadily grown into one of the community’s holiday
traditions.
Children bundled in hats and mittens made their way from business to
business, meeting beloved holiday characters, gathering crafts, and
soaking in the festive atmosphere that stretched across the entire
downtown.
Though the event now spreads across multiple locations, its roots
are simple. It began years ago with Santa greeting families at the
courthouse and the public library hosting a small Grinch-themed
night. Over time, those separate efforts became the foundation for
something much larger.
Jamie Jones, president of the Mt.
Pulaski Courthouse Foundation, explained that the
courthouse once hosted Santa on its own each year, until the Mt.
Pulaski Community Association approached them with the idea to
collaborate.
“They came to us and they were like, we can build on this event… and
make it even bigger and better. And that’s what we’ve done,” she
said.
Once the characters arrived at their assigned locations, the real
fun began. Santa settled inside the courthouse, while the Grinch
greeted families at the Mt. Pulaski Public Library. Elves welcomed
visitors at The Old Brickyard, and the Gingerbread Man appeared at
Market on the Hill, where children decorated homemade gingerbread
cookies.
Market manager Amanda Scattergood
said this year’s treats were a step up from the past. “Last year we
did sugar cookies with icing and sprinkles. This year we went with
homemade gingerbread men… we actually used a recipe from Colonial
Williamsburg,” she said. She added that turnout seemed to be the
largest yet, noting that “more people are trying to really gather
that small town community feel.”
Across the street, Longview
Community Bank transformed into a Frozen-themed stop where Anna and
Elsa greeted children. One bank worker who helped set up the
display, said the goal was to match the theme in every detail. “We
tried to theme it to match the characters… here at the bank, we did
snowflakes for Anna and Elsa,” she explained, adding that the kids
could also make their own Elsa wands.
The library, now in its fifth year of hosting Grinch-related
festivities, also expanded what it offers. Library director Amanda
Doherty said the program has changed as Winter Wonderland has grown
around it.
“We started having Grinch-miss… and then the other things in town
decided, oh we should just make a night of it,” she said. “We do
more now. We have a raffle, we have letters to Santa. It was just,
like, come take a picture with the Grinch at the beginning.”
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This year’s raffle prize was a
stuffed Grinch paired with a Grinch book, and visitors could enter
simply by leaving their name and phone number. Doherty added that
the library has recently been redecorated with a new children’s
space and now even hosts a food pantry.
A brand-new feature
joined the event this year as Zion Lutheran Church & School unveiled
an indoor inflatable village set up inside the gymnasium.
Volunteer organizer Michelle Hagenbuch
said she had dreamed of bringing an inflatable display to Winter
Wonderland but didn’t want to place it outside in the cold.
“They offered to let
us use the gym. Perfect for this kind of thing, because then kids
can run around. Parents can relax and just enjoy the lights,” she
said.
She laughed that the inflatables seemed huge at home but looked much
smaller once placed inside the gym and said she would love to add
even bigger ones next year if sponsors would want to help.
Each location throughout Winter Wonderland also collected winter
clothing donations, including hats, gloves, scarves, and coats.
“We collect them all, donate them, and then kids in need can…get
what they need,” Hagenbuch said.
As families traveled from stop to stop, it was clear that the joy of
Winter Wonderland comes not only from the characters and crafts, but
from the way the community builds the event together. Scattergood
spoke proudly about how Market on the Hill participates, saying, “We
are community owned and operated… we really would love for people to
come out and try our homemade baked goods.”
Meanwhile, Hagenbuch reflected on how character choices shape
attendance, noting, “We get a different crowd of kids depending on
the characters… when we added Anna and Elsa, we noticed a good
intake in girls that wanted to participate.”
From the fire truck parade to the
crafts, cookies, raffles, and lights, Winter Wonderland once again
transformed Mt. Pulaski into a festive holiday village, reminding
residents what community looks like when everyone contributes a
piece of magic. Organizers say they hope to continue expanding the
event in the years to come — and judging by the steady line of
families strolling through town on Saturday night, the tradition is
only growing stronger.
Mt. Pulaski Winter Wonderland - Slideshow
[Sophia Larimore] |
