The opening celebration will occur at Failinger’s Historic Hotel Gunter on Main Street, where guests can enjoy Breakfast With the Elves for $5 a person from 8 to 9:30 a.m. Tickets are available at the Hotel Gunter. A yard sale benefitting the Heifer Project will begin at 8 a.m. at the United Methodist Church. The third annual Elf Olympics will begin at 9:30 a.m., followed by a 1K Jingle Run and Storybook Holiday parade on Main Street. Immediately after the parade, children’s author and illustrator, Jennifer O’Connell, will present her holiday book, “Ten Timid Ghosts on a Christmas Night,” at the Frostburg Community Library, followed by a craft activity.

The sidewalks of Frostburg will feature carolers and wandering elves, and Frostburg’s City Place, on Water Street, will host various activities throughout the day, including free carriage rides from 1 to 4 p.m. From 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., children may visit the Elves’ Secret Workshop to choose a craft to make and wrap as a “secret” gift. They may also visit the Letter to Santa station, where they can write and mail their letter to the North Pole. Children will also have the opportunity to have their picture taken with an elf. From 2 to 3 p.m., visitors can purchase one of Jennifer O’Connell’s books and have it autographed. Holiday craft vendors will also be at City Place from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Take the time to celebrate the season through literature at one of the holiday storybook readings from 1 to 1:30 p.m. at Main Street Books, Hotel Gunter, Mountain City Traditional Arts or Frostburg Community Library. Also, from 1 to 3 p.m. the Soroptomist Holiday Auction will take place at the Community Center. Once again, the Hotel Gunter will house the Holiday Cookie Contest, starting at 1:30 p.m. Free cookie decorating will begin at 1:30 p.m. in Hotel Gunter as well.

First Presbyterian Church of Frostburg will host a Christmas Carol Sing at 1 p.m. Sigma Alpha Iota, Delta Omicron and Dr. Joan DeVee Dixon will also present a musical program in MCTA at 1:30 p.m. Following the lighting of the city Christmas tree at 6:30 p.m., the Potter’s Place will be caroling in Saint Michael’s Courtyard at 7:30 p.m. The Palace Theatre will host an 8 p.m. showing of the Jimmy Stewart holiday classic, “It’s a Wonderful Life.” Tickets are $5 and are on sale at Main Street Books and the Children’s Literature Centre in Framptom Hall 206.

The event, created by Dr. William Bingman and Dr. Barbara Ornstein, keeps alumni returning to Frostburg every year. Many alumni volunteer as elves, assist children, work in the Elves Secret Workshop and participate in the Elf Olympics.

Storybook Holiday’s major sponsors are PNC Bank, Allegany Arts Council, FrostburgFirst, the City of Frostburg, Frostburg Parks & Recreation, FSU’s Maryland Student Education Association and the Children’s Literature Centre of FSU. Additional sponsors are Main Street Books, Lorenzo’s Bakery, McFarland’s Candies, Misty Blue Fashions and Triangle Printing.

For more information, contact the Children’s Literature Centre at 301-687-3133 or clc@frostburg.edu. Visit the centre’s Web site at http://www.frostburg.edu/projects/clc.

FSU is committed to making all of its programs, services and activities accessible to persons with disabilities. To request accommodations through the ADA Compliance Office, call 301-687-4102 or use a Voice Relay Operator at 1-800-735-2258.