The Mendota Area Chamber of Commerce will host “A Mendota Christmas” on Saturday, Dec. 6, featuring holiday activities and shopping opportunities downtown.

The event runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and includes visits with the Grinch and Santa; free horse-drawn carriage rides; and a “Touch a Truck” experience with police cars, fire trucks and tractors.

The Grinch will have doughnuts with children in the Elks basement from 10 to 11 a.m. Santa will be available for photos from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Illinois Avenue.

The Mendota Lions Club will provide free hot chocolate and hot dogs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Taco Guzman will sell food during the same hours.

Children can participate in crafts and take home their creations. Horse-drawn carriage rides will depart from the corner of Jefferson Street and Indiana Avenue.

All events are free, although the chamber will collect donations for Mendota Operation Elf Action, which provides Christmas gifts to children ages 1 to 12 from families needing assistance.

Chamber ambassadors will sell raffle tickets for an electric scooter and distribute free stickers for the ongoing Shop Local promotion.

The Shop Local promotion, which began Nov. 17 and runs through Dec. 23, gives customers one sticker for every $10 spent at participating businesses. Completed cards from at least five different businesses can be turned in for prize drawings.

Starting Dec. 8, the chamber will give away prizes daily through Dec. 23, with a grand prize drawing on the final day.

For more information, contact the Mendota Area Chamber of Commerce.