THE VILLAGE OF WHEELING CELEBRATES FIRST ANNUAL WHEELING WONDERLAND HOLIDAY PASSPORT PROGRAM

WHEELING, IL (DECEMBER 2011) — The Village of Wheeling, in partnership with the Chamber of Commerce, the Restaurant Row Hospitality Group, and businesses throughout the community, will celebrate the successes of the first annual Wheeling Wonderland Passport Program with a culmination event December 17th at the Wheeling Westin from 11:00am – 2:00pm.  Families are invited to come out for a morning of FREE holiday entertainment, horse drawn sleigh rides, and goods and services from Wheeling events. Not to mention, SIX lucky passport holders will win one of wonderful prizes donated by Turnkey IT of either a PlayStation 3 or a Kindle Fire, or one of the three Wheeling Wonderland baskets containing prizes from Passport participants valued at over $1,000 EACH.

The live entertainment begins at 11:00am with Rolling Meadows High School Madrigal Singers. At 11:30am dancers from the American Academy of Gymnastics and Dance will dazzle the crowds with ballet, hip-hop and tumbling routines. Starting at 12:00pm groups from the Korean Cultural Center will entertain with dance and music performances. At 1:00pm, Tae Kwon Do and KravMaga demonstrations will be put on by White Tiger Marital Arts.  At 1:30pm, the winners of the Wheeling Wonderland Passport Program raffle prizes will be announced, followed by the Holmes Middle School Renaissance Singers who will round out the event with holiday musical selections from around the world.

There will also be FREE horse-drawn sleigh rides sponsored by Bill Stasek Chevrolet and Wheel-Inn/Gene’s Towing, balloon art from Kick Productions, caricatures by Marlene, face painters from Vision Maker Productions, and more.  In addition, many participating businesses will be presenting an exciting array of exhibits and activities for the whole family.

The Wheeling Wonderland program is designed to encourage the community to shop and dine locally, and to promote Wheeling as a destination for family, food, and community fun. Wheeling Wonderland was created in an effort to support local business this holiday season. 

This four-week program began November 20th and ends December 17th, and revolves around a “Passport” incentive program that encourages customers to shop and dine at the following participating businesses:
Ad Venture Hobbies, Allgauer’s on the Riverfront/Hilton Chicago/Northbrook, America’s Car Wash, American Academy of Gymnastics, Aristo Dental, Bill Stasek Chevrolet, Carnicerias Jimenez, Chicago Bagel & Bialy, Fresh Farms grocery store, Gene’s Village Towing/Wheel-Inn Body & Motor Works, Inc., Golden Chef Restaurant, Horchers Country Flowers, Korean Cultural Center of Chicago, Lynfred Winery, Mark Drug Medical Supply, Market Square Restaurant & Catering, MB Financial Bank, Pete Miller’s Prime Steak & Seafood, Rise n’ Dine Pancake Cafe, Saranello’s Ristorante Italiano, Superdawg Drive-in, Tramonto’s Steak & Seafood, RT Lounge, Wa-Pa-Ghetti’s Pizza, and White Tiger Martial Arts Center.

Participants have their Passports stamped with each purchase.  For each stamp, participants will receive a chance to win one of the “Wheeling Wonderland” prize baskets, which will hold hundreds of dollars worth of goods and services from participating businesses including a Kindle, a PlayStation 3, hotel accommodations, and gift certificates from Wheeling businesses.  These will be raffled in a drawing at the closing event on December 17at the Westin in an event featuring live entertainment, music, dancing, face painters, exhibits, balloon art, food, and more!

For updates, visit us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Wheeling-Events/240751322650079, and follow us on Twitter at: www.twitter.com/WheelingEvents.

About The Village of Wheeling
Voted by Family Circle as one of the top places in the United States to raise a family, Wheeling is a diverse and dynamic community of 40,000 people, distinguished by its unique balance of industry, commercial development, and residential neighborhoods.  Wheeling is known regionally and nationally as the home of the Milwaukee Avenue “Restaurant Row,” as well as for being home to top-notch grocery stores, shopping centers, health care facilities, places of worship, and award-winning public schools. Wheeling Park District and Cook County Forest Preserve facilities also provide opportunities for recreation and for restorative contact with the natural world.

Wheeling boasts a wide selection of housing options to serve the needs of potential residents, including world-class luxury condominiums, affordable rental properties in a variety of sizes, and single-family homes on tree-lined streets. Located 26 miles Northwest of Chicago, commuters benefit from easy access to Interstate 294, as well as from Metra rail service on the North Central Line via the Wheeling Metra Station.

For more information about the Village of Wheeling, please visit http://www.wheelingil.gov.