As everyone awaited Santa and Mrs. Claus’ arrival in Polk Township early Sunday evening, children decorated foam ornaments, a deejay played Christmas music, one adult handed out cookies and coffee while another practiced a story she’d soon be reading aloud to the children, and one little boy playfully chased the Grinch around the gathering area.

“This is my favorite event that our committee hosts. It kicks off the busy holiday season but in a low key manner and we can incorporate Adam’s Faith Garden,” said Joan McKinsey, chairwoman of the Polk Township Veterans Memorial Commission.

The garden is named for Adam Jablonski, who created it in 2012 for his Eagle Scout Project and died in 2013 at age 19. He had a rare form of cancer.

This was the 28th Annual Polk Township Tree Lighting event, in which Santa, Mrs. Claus and the Grinch were the anticipated guests of honor. The Grinch selected a child to help him light up the tree for the first time this holiday season.

Attendees began to trickle in around 4:10 p.m., and everyone was eager to see the jolly big guy who’d be arriving soon.

But first, McKinsey invited everyone into the sanctuary of Salem-St. Paul Lutheran Church, which the memorial faces. Tract Road is between the memorial and the church.

Shirley Haydt, a retired teacher and longtime member of the memorial commission, sat in a rocking chair to read the Pennsylvania Dutch version of the book, “Twas the Night Before Christmas.” The words are in English, but Haydt purposely reads it with a Pennsylvania Dutch accent.

She has read it many times at these tree lighting events, and is usually outside on a bench in Adam’s Faith Garden.

As she read about Belsnickel’s visit, she held up the book to show the pictures.

“Traditionally in Germany, a character called the Belsnickel would visit children alongside Saint Nicholas,” according to www.quietvalley.org. “The Belsnickel visits to punish the children who need to correct their behavior. He is often clad in rags and patchwork, sometimes he blackens his face or wears a mask to appear more fearsome.”

McKinsey then ushered everyone outside to the front of the church. They received a song packet and were asked to sing loudly so Santa and Mrs. Claus could hear us as they rode into town on Polk Township Volunteer Fire Company’s firetruck.

The crowd sang “Here Comes Santa Claus” and a couple other songs as the truck approached. Kids giggled and clapped as Santa stepped down onto the pavement.

They followed him inside to the church sanctuary, where he sat down in a rocking chair with a gray blanket covered with Santa faces.

Santa had the stack of letters the children wrote for him earlier that evening. He read each letter and called them one at a time up to sit with him.

“I asked Santa for Ugg shoes, a fairy catcher and bell bottoms,” said 7-year-old Rosie Antonucci.

As the children spoke to Santa, Dylan Keesler continued to play Christmas tunes in the gathering area outside the sanctuary.

McKinsey said she heard Keesler deejaying at the Polk Township Environmental Day, which is hosted by the township’s park committee, in October and asked him to deejay this Christmas event.

“I love volunteering to play the music. It’s fun,” said Keesler, with his mom, Gina Hanlon, next to him.

Township supervisors Brian Ahner and Michael Hurley said they were having a good time watching everyone get into the holiday spirit.