Entertainment, food, fun and festivity will be in the spotlight during the Merry Grinchmas E-Town Tree Lighting. The event will take place on Thursday, Nov. 21, from 4 to 8 p.m. throughout the downtown Elizabethtown area.

"There will be trolley rides on a loop of downtown by Stone Gable Estates, a coloring contest by Mars Wrigley, a Whoville-inspired photo op area in line to see and have photos with the Grinch followed by a free cookie decorating area," said Tony Gibble, who is helping to organize the event. "There will be community-supplied cookie stations around downtown to get free cookies, a free Grinch's Stolen Presents Scavenger Hunt ending with a candy prize and a chance to win a Grand Grinch Prize."

The event, which is hosted by Discover Elizabethtown, with support from the Elizabethtown Area Chamber of Commerce and LIV-ETown, will also feature lots of entertainment, including carolers and performances by e-dance center and ExHaLTT Performing Arts Academy, sponsored by the Elizabethtown Optimist Club, Greg Grogan and Kate Storm Team Realtors and The Elizabethtown Area Chamber of Commerce.

"Santa will be at The Tatted Toy Guys Toy Emporium on the stage for meet-and-greets, and there will be a few food trucks for snacks as well as specials at our downtown eateries," said Clint Gibble, one of the event organizers.

The evening will conclude with the lighting of the Christmas tree at 7:30 p.m., followed by a sing-along.

"If you like small-town fun, community and an experience you won't find anywhere else, this is a must-do event for the whole family, for a date night or even an extended family get-together," Tony said. "Events like this, we believe, set E-town apart from other towns - simple, small-town experiences that bring the community together to have fun within our group we come with but also with others at the event. ... It's about escaping the day-to-day and just enjoying a moment out with family and friends enjoying the simple things that make the holidays so warm and special."

He noted that the festivities are a team effort. "This event is a true labor of love. It takes so many people, so much work, time and planning to pull this off and those involved do it for free, just because they believe in its magic and what it brings to the community," he shared. "Seeing the joy and delight in the faces of the event's guests is the motivation, and all of us are so proud to be a part of it."