Photo Provided The Union Local High School marching band performs at a football game this fall.

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — The Union Local High School band will host a Family Christmas Fun Festival today.

The festival will take place at 5:30 p.m. at the Wise Building at the Belmont County Fairgrounds and aims to raise money for the band. It is open to all ages and will have several events to accommodate people from young to old.

“The Union Local band is proud to host Family Christmas Fun Festival as both a community outreach program to give families a fun evening filled with Christmas spirit and a fundraising event,” co-organizer Jessica Compher said.

She added that what makes this fundraising event different than others is that it doesn’t place the burden of raising money on individual students by asking them to sell items, which has proven to be difficult during recent efforts.

It costs $1 per person to enter the event, and game tokens will be sold at a price of $5 for 25 tokens.

According to organizers, games will cost one token each.

Activities that are included in the $1 entry will include pictures with Santa, a meet and greet with the Grinch and Olaf from Disney’s “Frozen,” a “Polar Express” sleigh ride, temporary tattoos, a scavenger hunt, an ugly Christmas sweater competition and a station to make a holiday craft.

There will also be several activity booths with prizes for the children in attendance at no additional cost.

“We want this event to spread joy and bring our community together,” Compher said. “We want families to spend some quality time together playing games, drinking hot chocolate and taking the Polar Express-themed wagon ride.”

The game tokens will be required for the several additional activities provided by the band. Some of the games will include a giant Connect Four, Plinko, snowball tosses, pin the nose on the snowman, reindeer ring toss, snowman building, snowball slingshot, spin it to win it, making reindeer food, tin can knock down, and several others with chances to showcase your skills.

“If 25 tokens aren’t enough, you are welcome to come purchase more for $5,” Compher said.

The first 200 children at the event are guaranteed a small gift from Santa.

A hot chocolate bar and concessions bar will offer sloppy joe, hot dogs, nachos, chips, popcorn, ice cream bars, cookies, pretzels, brownies, water, pop and Gatorade. The refreshments are available for an additional cost. The event will also have an auction of various holiday-related prizes.