Tickets for Christmas in July fundraiser now available

“If you want to have a happy holiday celebration in the middle of summer, get your tickets for the Carlinville Christmas Market’s July 28 dinner party at the Elks club,” said Jeff Link, vice president of the Carlinville Christmas Market Foundation and chair of the fundraiser committee.

Tickets for Christmas in July are now on sale at the Carlinville Community Chamber of Commerce office on the northeast side of the square, at Main Street Florist and Main Street Bridal on the east and south sides of the square, and at the Carlinville Library on North Broad. They are $30 per person. Individuals or groups who wish to purchase a table of eight pay just $210, a savings of $30.

“We’re calling this a dinner ‘party,’ because we have some top-notch entertainment planned, in addition to a fine meal, prizes, and a 50/50 raffle,” Link said. “And I wouldn’t be surprised if we had a couple of special guests show up to add to the Christmas cheer. Our goal is for everyone to have a really good time and to want to come back when we do it again next year. We hope to have ‘Christmas in July’ become as much a Carlinville tradition as the Christmas Market itself.”

The evening will begin at 5:30 with cash-bar cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, followed at 6:30 by a hearty dinner. After dinner, well-known auctioneer Mike Crabtree will take the stage to auction a variety of artwork created by local artists or furnished by local individuals or merchants. Following the auction, comedian/musician Tim Walkoe will entertain dinner guests the rest of the way with the funny, fast-paced delivery that has made him a headliner around the country.

“In keeping with the spirit of this event and the Christmas Market, we’ll have the Elks hall decorated for the holidays, including our unique ‘Grinch” Christmas tree. And we plan to unveil our new commemorative snow globe ” said Link. “It may be summer outside, but on this night, we’re going to have a Christmas party inside. In that same spirit, we encourage all of our guests to dress as if it were Christmas Eve.”

For more information, visit the Christmas Market web site at: www.CarlinvilleChristmasMarket.com.