Over the past several years, the community has gathered together to celebrate the holidays in an event called Very Merry Huntley. This event brightened family’s lives during the Christmas season and was a promise for fun.

This year with, COVID-19 and quarantine, the whole country has had to adapt their lifestyles, hobbies, and ways to socialize with precaution. Huntley’s Very Merry Huntley is one of those events that had to be altered. 

Very Merry Huntley comprises School District 158, Huntley Police Department, Fire Protection District, Huntley Area Public Library, Huntley Park District, and the Huntley Area Chamber of Commerce. 

Facing unimaginable times, the community has come together to create something fun for families to partake in. The activity that was created to engage the children is an inviting booklet called the Very Merry Huntley Activity Book. The book is 20 pages and filled with a letter from Santa, coloring pages, connect the dots, word searches, and more. 

The District will be working to get these distributed to every child, preschool through fifth, before they go on their Winter Break. 

“Our coloring page, kind of a District 158 coloring page, is kind of a stylized view of the front of the highschool with Santa arriving on a school bus with reindeer. So, hopefully kids will see that and you know kind of get a kick out of seeing something that they’re probably familiar with locally infused with that holiday spirit,” Dan Armstrong, Director of Communications and Public Engagement, said.

All of the coloring pages are drawn by Dolton LaCassa. Additional graphics and the cover is created by head of marketing Doug Cataldo. The two of them have been working at the library vigorously to get the product out and make it enjoyable for the kids. They have poured their whole heart into these illustrations in hopes of the positive effects on kids. 

The Huntley Area Public Library holds an exclusive gift bag that contains not only the activity book but a holiday card from the library, a schedule list of this year’s Very Merry Huntley, a letter to Santa, fun stickers, a soft peppermint candy, and a candy cane.

In addition adults receive a goodie bag of their own called December De-Stress. This bag includes a make your own mood-bead jewelry, fun designed notepad, Huntley Library book mark, Corner Book Gift Certificate, hershey kisses, and jolly ranchers. 

Now not only will children be happy, but adults will also have something fun to do over the holidays.

Although things will be different this year, the Very Merry Huntley goodie bags from the Huntley Area Public Library will bring a smile to all this holiday season.