By PHYLLIS ZORN

Staff writer

A new Marion event featuring socializing and shopping is planned for the holiday season.

Jingle and Mingle will be 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 18 at Marion Community Center, 203 N. 3rd St.

Janell Holter, who came up with the idea of Jingle and Mingle, said she wanted to have a holiday-oriented sales event since Marion offers limited shopping opportunities.

“I think it’s going to be a lot of gift items for Christmas, and I’ll say I think it’s going to be a lot of Christmas decorations for people to buy,” Holter said. “We are going to have food and drink. I’m hoping we get a lot of people.”

Holter said this is the first time she has coordinated such an event, but she wanted a local shopping opportunity for area residents. She also wanted to have a holiday get-together setting.

“It’s going to be a little bit of everything,” Holter said. “I’m not going to limit it to anything.”

More information is available by calling Holter at (620) 202-1628.

Parks and Recreation director Margo Yates said it took some thought to add a third community shopping event to go along with Art in the Park and Park It and Market.

Art in the Park will be 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 16

“This is the 39th year for Art in the Park,” Yates said.

Art in the Park offers only handmade items. The crowd is estimated at 30,000.

“It’s a constant stream in the park,” Yates said.

Park It and Market will be 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 21.

“This is just the second year,” Yates said. “Last year we did the fall one for the first time and we were asked to add a spring one.”

Park It and Market offers items such as kitchenware, children’s books, and the like that are marketed but not made by the vendors.