On Saturday Dec. 18 at 1:30 p.m. and Sunday Dec. 19, also at 1:30 p.m. the doors of the downtown Des Plaines Theater will swing open for The First Annual Hometown Holiday Celebration featuring the holiday film classic "Miracle on 34th Street".

On Saturday the event will begin with carolers under the historic marquee recently restored by the Des Plaines Theater Preservation Society. The holiday journey will continue as you enter the lobby with a string quartet composed of members of the Maine West Symphonic Orchestra (Tobin Langridge, conductor). Also in the lobby will be an exhibition of recent art work by students in the Art Dept. of Maine West. The Family Creativity Corner will feature ornament making and scarf decorating (we supply the materials and paints for your children to make gift scarves decorated by them with fabric paints). At 2 p.m. on Saturday, the Maine West Jazz Band, led by Bernie Gerstmyer, will take the stage to celebrate the music of the season. Following the performance the Society will show some classic holiday cartoons which will lead into an old fashioned audience sing-a-long. The evening will conclude with a showing of the original 1947 "Miracle on 34th Street".

The magic continues on Sunday with Silent Movies

On Sunday the doors open again at 1:30 p.m. with more music and creative fun in the lobby. At 2 p.m. on the stage, David Drazin, of the Gene Siskel Film Center, will accompany some early silent pictures from the Thomas Edison Film Studios including "A Christmas Carol" (1910), "The Night Before Christmas" (1909), "A Holiday Pageant at Home" (1901) and "A Winter Straw Ride" (1906). Animated cartoons will again lead into an audience sing-a-long and the showing of "Miracle on 34th Street".

"Miracle on 34th Street" is the classic film starring Maureen O'Hara as the no nonsense executive and single parent working for Macy's Department Store in New York City who hires Kris Kringle (played by Edmund Gwenn, who one the Best Oscar for supporting actor for his portrayal). When it seems that Kringle really believes that he is Santa, the trouble begins as a rival department store tries to embarrass Macy"s. John Payne plays the young lawyer who defends Santa against insanity charges and the young Natalie Wood plays the daughter who teaches her mother the true meaning of faith. The film also won Oscars for Best Story and Best Screenplay as well as being nominated for Best Picture of the Year

The Preservation Society is has announced the addition of Paul Magnusson to its board of directors.

Mr. Magnusson is the retired band and choral director at Maine West High School and current vice president of the Board of Directors of the Des Plaines Chapter of The Optimists Club. He has also performed for 25 years with the Camerata Singers of Lake Forest. Magnusson joins fellow Des Plaines residents Douglas Bryan Bean, Don Carnes, Dan Dix, Glenn Guenther, Sandi Kangas, John Kleinschmidt, Paul Saletnik, and Ellie and Arnie Seegers, as active board members.

Work is continuing on the historic marquee in front of the Ds Plaines Theater. A grand re-lighting ceremony will soon be announced.

The Des Plaines Theater Preservation Society is a not for profit corporation dedicated to the preservation and renovation of the historic Theater. You can contact the group by calling 847-803-1875.