FREE Family Fun for EVERYONE! Presented by the Grundy County Chamber of Commerce and Channahon Minooka Chamber
Saturday February 15th
9 a.m. – 1 p.m. FREE ADMISSION FOR ALL!
Shabbona Middle School 725 School St., Morris
Free Family Entertainment including face painting and live entertainment. FOOD - GIVEAWAYS - RAFFLES - RECREATION OPTIONS - GAMES BUSINESS SERVICES - EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES AND MORE!
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Morris Herald-News / morrisherald-news.com
• February 2020
| Grundy Chamber Family Fest
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Family Fest 2020 returns to Morris offering free family-fun Saturday, Feb. 15 A Business and Community showcase MORRIS – The annual Family Fest is back again with even more to see and do! We welcome back the reptile show, face painting, and the local business expo filled with products and giveaways. Elsa from “Frozen” will be joining us again and this time some of her friends will be hosting a character breakfast as well through the Coal City Theatre Department. The Grundy County Chamber of Commerce & Industry’s Family Fest is from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 15 at Shabbona School, 725 School St., Morris. Family Fest is a family-centered business expo showcasing the programs, products and services available throughout the greater Grundy County area, and all while providing entertainment for families. The event is presented by Exelon’s Dresden Generating Station and D’Arcy Chevrolet, and is free of charge for the public to attend. It is the only event of its kind available to local residents. Consumers can find information on health and beauty, financial and community services, home improvement, child care, insurance, education and more. The expo, sponsored by OSF Urgo and Heartland Bank in Minooka, opens at 9 a.m. and will offer entertainment, raffles, demonstrations, kids’ activities and more. Families are encouraged to attend together, as there is something for all ages. New this year, the Coal City Theatre Department will host a character breakfast with Sven and Olaf of “Frozen.” Tickets are $12 and will be available in advance through Brown Paper Tickets at frozenbreakfast.brownpapertickets.com. Breakfast guests will receive pancakes, sausage, hash
browns and get to participate in a craft. Breakfast seatings will be at 8:30 a.m. and 10 a.m. The character breakfast is a fundraiser for the Coal City Theatre Department. Elsa and Anna also will make an appearance at the breakfast and Elsa will be available for photos in the expo at the Holiday Inn Express of Morris booth. Thank you to the Holiday Inn Express for sponsoring Elsa’s visit to Family Fest. She will be walking through the expo from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. visiting and taking pictures with fans. One of the most exciting aspects of Family Fest is the Kids Zone, sponsored by First Midwest Bank, Morris Hospital & Healthcare Centers, ONEOK, Busey Bank, LyondellBasell, Financial Plus Credit Union, Nicor Gas, First Federal Savings Bank and the Village of Minooka. Kids Zone is an activities area that provides ongoing child-centered activities like an inflatable obstacle course, jump house, games, demonstrations and more. “We can’t thank our sponsors enough,” Grundy Chamber President & CEO Christina Van Yperen said. “It’s because of all of them and our vendors that this event continues to be free for our local families to enjoy. This annual event has become a tradition for area families and it’s a wonderful opportunity for our residents to get to know our businesses and organizations.” Stop by the Community Entertainment area located inside the Kids Zone anytime from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. for coloring, activities, and visits with mascots will be available all day. Davidson Farms is again sponsoring Dave DiNaso’s Traveling World of Reptiles show presentations at 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. Also at 12 p.m. join in on a Zumba demonstration with Sarah Short. Lynda with Painting Faces and Spaces will be
providing face painting from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. If a line is present, Lynda will stop taking kids at noon in order to complete all in line by 12:30 p.m. This fun activity is being sponsored by Morris National Bank & Trust and is free, but also is first come first serve. For more information, please contact the Chamber at (815) 942-0113 or email events@grundychamber.com.
Activities and information from area vendors will be available: Breaking Away Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Will & Grundy Counties Busey Bank CASA of River Valley (sponsored by ONEOK) Channahon General Rental Channahon Lanes Chanooka Wish (sponsored by the Village of Minooka) Coal City Dental Center Comprehensive Pain & Wellness Country Financial –John Mueller & Matt Seidel D’Arcy Chevrolet Exelon Generation Financial Plus Credit Union First Federal Savings Bank First Midwest Bank #GIVEGRUNDY
Great Water USA Grundy Bank Grundy County Health Department Grundy County Sheriff’s Department Grundy-Three Rivers Habitat for Humanity (sponsored by Carson Tap House) Heartland Bank Holiday Inn Express Illinois Treasurer Illinois Valley Counseling Joliet Junior College Joliet Slammers Baseball Lucas Insurance Agency Mary Kay Judi Tapella & Jeni Tjelle Morris Building & Loan Morris City Pool Morris Elementary School District #54 PTO Morris Fire Protection & Ambulance District Morris Hospital & Healthcare Centers Morris Lions Club
Morris Police Department Morris National Bank & Trust Morris Retail Association Morris YMCA Nicor Gas New Beginnings (sponsored by Designer Decks by MJ) OSF Urgo Rasmussen College - Romeoville/Joliet Rezin Orthopedics & Sports Medicine Shaw Media SOCU – Streator Onized Credit Union The Gardens at Park Pointe Three Wells Acupuncture Clinic, Inc. United Way of Grundy County (sponsored by LyondellBasell) US Census Bureau WCSJ/WJDK Window World of Joliet
Fest is open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. • 8:30 a.m. - First Character Breakfast seating with the Coal City Theatre Department. Ticket required. • 9 a.m. - Kids Zone and Consumer Expo open all day; Concessions also available all day fundraising for Coal City Theatre Department. • 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. - Face painting in the Consumer Expo gym sponsored by Morris National Bank & Trust. (If a line is present, the line will be closed at 12 p.m. to finish those in line by 12:30 p.m.) • 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. - Elsa from “Frozen” will be walking around the expo talking with families and taking pictures with fans. Sponsored by Holiday Inn Express in Morris. • 10 a.m. - Second Character Breakfast seating with the Coal City Theatre Department. Ticket required. • 10-10:45 a.m. - Dave DiNaso’s Traveling World of Reptiles in Kids Zone gym sponsored by Davidson Farms. • 11-11:30 a.m. - Dave DiNaso’s Traveling World of Reptiles in Kids Zone gym sponsored by Davidson Farms. • 12 p.m. - Zumba with Sarah Short in the cafeteria. *Mascots will be walking through the expo throughout the day.
Zumba Class at Family Fest “We are excited to add Zumba as one of the performances at Family Fest this year. Zumba gets everyone moving and is a great addition to an event centered on fun,” Grundy Chamber President & CEO Christina Van Yperen said. Short also teaches Zumba on Thursdays from 6:30-7:30 p.m. at Resolve Fitness in Morris. Membership
to Resolve is not required. There is a $5 walk-in fee for non-members. Child care is also available during class. For non-members using child care during class, the walk-in fee is $8. For more information on all the locations Short offers Zumba at visit www.zumba.com/en-US/profile/sarahshort/1751658.
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ADVANCING A WORLD OF POSSIBILITIES
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• February 2020
MORRIS– New this year, the Grundy County Chamber has included some dancing fun at Family Fest with a Zumba performance. Zumba is a fitness class that combines easy to follow, repetitive moves with Latin rhythms, such as Salsa and Merengue, said Sarah Short, Zumba instructor. “Each class is designed like a party! We just want you to dance, move, and above all, have fun while exercising,” she said in a news release. “Zumba takes the work out of workout, by mixing low intensity and high intensity, easy-to-follow moves, with Latin rhythms, for a one of a kind experience.” Short has been a licensed instructor since June 2019 and took Zumba as a participant for about eight years before that. She said when her daughter started school she wanted to find something for herself to do during the school day, but that would still allow her to be a stay at home mother. The Zumba session at Family Fest on Saturday, Feb. 15 will begin at 12 p.m. at Shabbona School, and everyone is invited to participate.
Grundy Chamber Family Fest | Morris Herald-News / morrisherald-news.com
Family Fest Schedule of Events
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Free Face Painting
during Family Fest through Morris National Bank & Trust sponsorship
Morris Herald-News / morrisherald-news.com
• February 2020
| Grundy Chamber Family Fest
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MORRIS –It’s not unusual to see mini superheroes, princesses and even wild animals running around the Grundy County Chamber’s annual Family Fest – but don’t worry it’s just kids with painted faces! Thanks to a sponsorship by Morris National Bank & Trust, Painting Faces and Spaces will be painting children’s faces for free from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Family Fest Saturday, Feb. 15 at Shabbona School, 725 School St., Morris. If a line is at the booth at 12, the booth will close off the line to finish all kids by 12:30 p.m. The face painting booth will be inside the business expo portion of Family Fest so parents and guardians can stop at the 50 plus other vendor booths while their children have their face painted into a tiger, Spiderman, fairy princess and more. “Face Painting is always a huge hit at events and with Painting Faces and Spaces, we expertly transform little guests into princesses, super heroes, butterflies and villains, and there will be zombies and vampires running around too,” Lynda Mahalik, owner of Painting Faces and Spaces said in a news release. For more information visit paintingfacesandspaces.com.
Have a Great
Family Fest Exelon Generation and Dresden Station are proud to support and participate in the Grundy County and Channahon-Minooka Chambers of Commerce 2020 Family Fest Grundy County is a great place to live and work, and we hope you will take advantage of this event to learn more about the companies and organizations that provide a wealth of family-friendly resources, products and services throughout the area.
Minooka Police Explorers bringing mascots to Family Fest Returning again to Family Fest are the Minooka Explorers Post #447 who will be walking around the consumer expo with Eddie the Eagle and McGruff the Crime Dog mascots. The Minooka Explorers Post #447 is an introductory program providing first-hand experience to youth interested in a law enforcement, criminal justice or public service career. The program is open to young men and women from 14 to 21 years of age. Trainings are held twice a month, and include orientation to ethics in law enforcement, evidence collection, crash investigation, traffic stops and other police related operations. It offers hands on experiences taught by Minooka police officers.
The goal is to help the participants with training that will help them stand out from the rest as they prepare to become an officer, according to the Explorers program brochure. At Family Fest the Explorers will talk with families, help with the mascots and share information and stories on the program. For more information on the Explorers call 815-467-2298.
From your friends at
Grundy Chamber Family Fest | Morris Herald-News / morrisherald-news.com
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• February 2020
~ Minooka ~ Growing and Supporting Families for 150 Years!
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Morris Herald-News / morrisherald-news.com
• February 2020
| Grundy Chamber Family Fest
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Coal City Theatre Department will host character breakfast, serve food and snacks at Fest as fundraiser Sven and Olaf from “Frozen” will be on hand to have breakfast and do a craft with the kids during Family Fest, Feb. 15. The Coal City Theatre Department will host a character breakfast and craft with two seatings, one at 8:30 a.m. and the other at 10 a.m. Tickets will be available in advance. A craft also will be included. Tickets can be purchased at Brown Paper Tickets at frozenbreakfast.brownpapertickets.com. The other events and activities are free at Family Fest, but the special breakfast is serving as a fundraiser for the Coal City Theatre Department. As families eat their breakfast they will be greeted by Sven and Olaf and will be able to give Olaf warm hugs and take pictures with the characters. Elsa and Anna will also make an appearance. The Coal City Theatre Department provides students in the Unit 1 School District an opportunity to learn, grow, create and discover the magic of the performing arts in a professional and welcoming environment, according to a news release. The theatre department produces four stage productions each school year— a high school, middle school and intermediate school musical and high school play. Children can also spend more time with Elsa in the consumer expo at Family Fest where the Holiday Inn Express is sponsoring a photo area with Elsa. After getting their face painted and playing in the Kids Zone, families will be hungry so the Coal City Theatre Department will also be selling snacks, hot dogs, and drinks throughout the day. “The Coal City Theatre Department is exceptional. We are so grateful to have their talent be a part of Family Fest this year,” Grundy Chamber President & CEO Christina Van Yperen said. The theatre department is committed to high standards and strives to provide both students and audience members with a professional theatre experience. The program, under the direction of Jack Micetich, has been nomi-
nated for multiple Illinois High School Musical Theatre Awards presented by Broadway in Chicago. Three student actors/actresses have been named among the states 24 best performers, the program has captured two Best Scenic Design Awards in a category it is annually nominated in. Micetich is a two-time nominee for Best Director and the high school’s 2019 production was one of five nominated for Best Production. Additionally, the school has had students selected for the Illinois High School Theatre Festival All-State Production and the 2020 show featured junior Riley Nevin as Radames—the lead male role—in Aida. Students enrolled in the school’s theatre technology class assist with the construction of set pieces, costumes are custom made by a team of talented seamstresses and then made available for rental to school and community theatre companies across the United States. In conjunction with the high school Drama Club, theatre students are provided multiple opportunities to take part in master classes with theatre professionals, attend regional and national tour productions performed in Chicago area theatres and participate in a bi-annual theatre trip to New York City to attend classes with Broadway stars, tour famed theatres and take in Broadway shows.
Thank you to our local communities! 124 E. Main St, Morris, IL 60450
+1 (815)942-8100
www.ffsbweb.com
Have FUN at Family Fest!
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Traveling World of Reptiles to hold two shows at Family Fest Feb. 15
MORRIS - If you have never seen The Traveling World of Reptiles it can best be described as an up-close, live, and extremely interactive or “hands-on” experience about reptiles and amphibians from around the world. Dave DiNaso’s Traveling World of Reptiles has become a tradition at the Grundy County Chamber of Commerce & Industry’s annual Family Fest thanks to sponsor Davidson Farms of Minooka. This year’s showings will be at 10 a.m. and again at 11 a.m. during Family Fest on Feb. 15 at Shabbona School, 725 School St., Morris. The shows, as well as Family Fest overall, are free to attend. “Every year we have families who return to Family Fest thanks to the hands-on, fun, and friendly experience Dave DiNaso’s Traveling World of Reptiles provides. Children and adults have the opportunity to get up close to animals they do not get to encounter often,” Christina Van Yperen, Chamber President & CEO said. The Traveling World of Reptiles blends education and a unique style of humor to form an original experience that makes the presentation every bit as entertaining as it is educational, DiNaso said in a news release. If you would like the opportunity to see, touch, and learn about reptiles from all over the world and laugh a lot while doing so, attend the Traveling World of Reptiles show at Family Fest.
Stop by and see us at Family Fest to learn more about heart health!
morrishospital.org
PROUD SUPPORTER OF
FAMILY FEST 2020 Our friendly bankers are here to help the people and businesses of Grundy County. Call us today at 815.467.0772.
220 W. Main St., Morris, IL FirstMidwest.com
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1111 W. Route 6, Morris, IL
Keep out the harsh elements with our FREE weatherization kit. Your FREE kit includes: • • • • •
Self-adhesive door sweep Cell foam tape weatherstripping Rope caulk Outlet and switch foam gasket draft sealers V-seal type weatherstripping
nicorgas.com/FamilyFest Visit our booth or order your kit online at nicorgas.com/FamilyFest
• February 2020
Don’t let your home catch a cold this winter
Grundy Chamber Family Fest | Morris Herald-News / morrisherald-news.com
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URGENT CARE FOR PEOPLE ON THE GO. OSF Urgo delivers high-quality urgent care quickly and conveniently in a new modern setting. We make it easy to get the urgent care you need for minor illnesses and injuries. • Open 8 a.m.-8 p.m. every day • On-site prescriptions, medical supplies and X-rays • In and out in 40 minutes or less
Morris Herald-News / morrisherald-news.com
Meet your Morrisbased care team at our Family Fest booth on February 15 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. to learn more. 1715 N. Division St. (815) 431-3410
• Open holidays
• February 2020
| Grundy Chamber Family Fest
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Walk in for care or schedule online at osfurgo.org.
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